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Summary

Also called Leeper Cross. Medieval wayside granite cross set on top of a hedgebank on the west side of the gateway leading to Moor Gate Farm. The cross is not in situ, having been found elsewhere on the farm. It was set up in its present location in 1937. Of particular interest on account of relief carvings of crosses on both faces, and also because of its position on or near an important north-south route across the eastern fringe of Dartmoor. Also known as 'Leeper Cross'.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1009180: Leapra Cross: a wayside cross at the entrance to Moor Gate Farm
• Listed Building (II) 1097158: LEAPRA CROSS

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX78SW27
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 445657
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78SW/55
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 85133
• Old SAM County Ref: 949
• Old SAM Ref: 24832

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WAYSIDE CROSS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Thornton, W. H., 1902-1903, Concerning Some Ancient Crosses in the Parish of North Bovey, 71 (Article in Serial). SDV303785.

In a garden wall near Moorgate on the Prince Town road another cross is imbedded. The cross once stood, it is reported, in the open field near Moorgate and author has permission to remove it "from its present position of obscurity".

Masson Phillips, E. N., 1937, The Ancient Stone Crosses of Devon: Part I, 329, plate 34, figure 7 (Article in Serial). SDV240502.

Plain stone cross set up on hedge at Leeper, a farm near Moorgate on the Moretonhampstead to Postbridge road. Type A. A small cross of rough rectangular section with one arm broken. There is a raised cross on each face, the shafts of which run down the shaft of the cross and expand into a wide base. Found built into the wall of the farm and taken to North Bovey Manor House, being returned to Leeper in 1937.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1952-1953, SX78SW22 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV303784.

Leapra cross. Stone cross at Liapa or Leeper.
A small cross of rough rectangular section with one arm broken. There is a raised cross on each face, the shafts of which run down the shaft of the cross and expand into a wide base. Found built into the wall of the farm and taken to North Bovey Manor House, being returned to Leeper in 1937 at the insistence of the Dartmoor Preservation Association (Citing Masson Phillips, 1937).
Above description is correct, though it does not emphasise the fact that the shaft is probably broken. It is difficult to make out the raised cross because of lichen, and the fact that this cross is not in a good state of preservation. It has been built into the boundary bank of the field just at the gateway to Liapa, today called Moor Gate (6/5/1953)

Ancient Monuments, 1974, Leapra Cross 256m northwest of Moor Gate, 7/1/1974 (Schedule Document). SDV303783.

Leapra Cross 256 metres north-west of Moor Gate. A plain stone cross with one arm broken off set up on a hedge by a gateway onto the moor. The shaft and the arms are of rough rectangular section. There is a raised cross on the east face. The cross was found built into the wall of the farm and was taken to North Bovey Manor being returned in 1937 at the insistence of the Dartmoor Preservation Association.

Department of Environment, 1987, North Bovey, 147 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV348844.

Wayside Cross. Medieval. Granite Latin cross set on hedge with cross carved in high relief on both faces, left arm broken off. This cross was originally found built into a wall at Moorgate Farm was then moved in the early 20th century to the recently built manor house at North Bovey and in 1937 was removed to its present position.

Ancient Monuments, 1993, Leapra Cross (Schedule Document). SDV303782.

Squared head and arms and short length of shaft of Medieval wayside cross of coarse granite with large feldspar crystals. Set atop a hedge bank, not in-situ.
The visible height is 1.02 metres. Arms are aligned roughly west-east. Shaft is rectangular in section, 0.38 metres (north face) by 0.32 metres (east) by 0.27 metres (west) by 0.34 metres (south face). Width across arms is 0.58 metres.
Southern arm, apparently intact, extends 0.17 metres from the shaft and is 0.3 metres deep. The northern arm, damaged, extends 0.07 metres and is 0.29 metres deep. Head extends 0.22 metres above the arms and is 0.31 metres wide.
The north face of the shaft has a fine relief cross carved on it, which has splayed arms and a splayed foot. The relief cross measures 0.82 metres high by 0.32 metres wide, and is raised 30 millimetres. Its carved shaft is 100 millimetres to 120 millimetres wide, and its head 80 millimetres wide. Its eastern arm is splayed to 120 millimetres (western arm is eroded). Its foot has a triangular splay 0.19 metres high, which widens to 0.3 metres at the base.
The south face of the shaft also has a relief cross carved on it, raised 70 millimetres. This cross measures approximately 0.57 metres high by 0.32 metres wide. Most of the carving is approximately 70 millimetres wide, but the end of the arms and the head are slightly splayed to around 80 millimetres. The cross is set atop a large granite slab, 0.9 metres long by 0.2 metres deep.

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

'Leapra Cross' is depicted on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 19/07/2016 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

The monument includes the squared head and arms and short length of the shaft of a medieval wayside cross of coarse granite with large feldspar crystals. It is set on top of a hedge bank on the west side of the gateway leading to Moor Gate Farm, about 23m south of the B3212 Moretonhampstead to Princetown road.
The cross is not in situ, having been found elsewhere on the farm. It was set up in its present location in 1937. The visible height of the cross is 1.02m. The arms of the cross are aligned roughly west-east. The shaft is rectangular in section measuring 0.38m (north face) by 0.32m (east) by 0.34m (south) by 0.27m (west). The width across the arms is 0.58m. The south arm, which appears to be intact, extends 0.17m from the shaft and has a depth of 0.3m. The north arm, which is damaged, extends only 0.07m from the shaft and has a depth of 0.29m. The head extends above the arms 0.22m. The width of the head is 0.31m.
The north face of the shaft has a fine relief cross carved on it, which has splayed arms and a splayed foot. The relief cross measures 0.82m vertically by 0.32m horizontally, and is raised 30mm. The carved shaft of the relief cross is 100mm-120mm wide, and the head of the cross is 80mm wide. The east arm of the relief cross is splayed to 120mm (the west arm is eroded). The foot of the relief cross has a triangular splay 0.19m high which widens to 0.3m at the base. The south face of the shaft also has a relief cross carved on it, raised 70mm. This cross measures about 0.57m vertically by 0.32m horizontally. Most of the carving is about 70mm wide but the end of the arms and the head of the cross are slightly splayed to about 80mm.
The cross has been set on top of a large granite slab 0.9m long by 0.2m deep and is a Listed Building Grade II.
Leapra Cross consists of the head and arms of a medieval wayside cross, of particular interest on account of relief carvings of crosses on both faces, and also because of its position on or near an important north-south route across the eastern fringe of Dartmoor.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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