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Summary

Medieval cross mounted on a 19th century pedestal. Said to have formerly stood at Aller Cross.

Location

Protected Status

• Registered Park or Garden (I) 1000120: CASTLE HILL
• Scheduled Monument 1015465: Castle Hill Cross
• Listed Building (II) 1161465: CROSS APPROXIMATELY 120 METRES NORTH OF CASTLE HILL HOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1080892
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS62NE/3
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 98953
• Old SAM Ref: 28625
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS62NE3

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CROSS (XIII to XV - 1300 AD (Between) to 1500 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Stone Cross (Remains of)' shown as a small square feature on 19th century map.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Cross (Remains of)' shown on early 20th century map.

Ordnance Survey, 1905, 14SE (Cartographic). SDV335658.

Masson Phillips, E. N., 1938, The Ancient Stone Crosses of Devon: Part II (Article in Serial). SDV6308.

Cross at Castle Hill, in grounds north of Castle House, close to a path on high ground near a wood. Type B. A modern pedestal of three octagonal steps (the middle step bearing tablets with verses, one of which is dated 1853) supports the ancient cross. Square at the base, with triangular stops which are almost hidden owing to the depth to which the bottom of the shaft is inserted in the surface of the pedestal, and octagonal above, not tapering. The shaft is in two pieces and the ancient head is intact with the exception of the top limb, which is a restoration. Rev Chanter says that it formerly stood at Aller Cross.

Ministry of Housing and Local Government, 1964, South Molton Rural District, 29 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV320155.

Probably a 15th century cross reset on a 19th century square base.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1970, SS62NE3 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV345224.

Site visit 6th November 1970. Ancient cross on a modern pedestal. The base bears a date 1833, at which date or a little before the structure was evidently erected. The medieval cross shaft is about 2.3m high.

Department of Environment, 1987, Filleigh, 36 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV89818.

Cross approximately 120 metres north of Castle Hill House. Dressed stone. Latin cross with octagonal shaft and arms and two tier plinth with slate plaques inscribed with verses and dated 1833 on north and south sides.

Goodwin, N. D., 1989, Cross approx. 120m N of Castle Hill House (Worksheet). SDV345228.

Worksheet gives DoE listing description.

Colvin & Moggridge, 1991, Castle Hill: Summary and Evaluation of History (1st Earl Fortescue Historic Inventory) (Report - Assessment). SDV345229.

Gerrard, H., 1994, Cross at Castle Hill (Photograph). SDV345230.

Gerrard, S., 1995, 139578 (Un-published). SDV345225.

Standing cross on a modern pedestal.

Department of Environment, 1997, Castle Hill Cross (Schedule Document). SDV345231.

Castle Hill cross includes a standing cross on a modern three stepped pedestal. It is situated beside a path in an elevated location within an area of woodland gardens 146 metres north-north-east of Castle Hill House. The monument survives as a Medieval Latin standing cross set into a modern three stepped octagonal pedestal. The base of the pedestal measures 1.01 metres high, 2.89 metres long and wide, with the length of each side being 1.1 metres. The cross shaft is set directly into the pedestal, with no socket stone. It measures 0.35 metres square at the base, is octagonal in section above and tapers upwards. It measures 0.65 metres wide at the arms, 0.3 metres wide at the head and is 2.3 metres high. At a height of 0.7 metres the shaft has been repaired, and the head is intact apart from the top limb which has been restored. The cross is of a type found throughout Devon, and is thought to have once stood at Aller Cross. This type of cross is considered to date from the 14th to 15th centuries. The cross was restored and sited in this present location by the First Earl Fortescue in 1831. The cross is Listed Grade II.

Colvin & Moggridge, 2000, Castle Hill Park Restoration Management Plan, Fig. 4 (Report - Interim). SDV344390.

Watson, A., 2007-2017?, Devon Crosses, 86, (Vol 1), sketch (Un-published). SDV360833.

Castle Hill SS671286
Cross stands in the grounds north of Castle Hill, Filleigh, north of the house and close to a path on high ground in a wood. A modern pedestal of three octagonal steps (the middle step bearing tablets with verses, one of which is dated 1853) supports the ancient cross. Square at the base, with triangular stops which are almost hidden owing to the depth to which the bottom of the shaft is inserted in the surface of the pedestal, and octagonal above, not tapering. The shaft is in two pieces and the ancient head is intact with the exception of the top limb, which is a restoration. The cross formerly stood at Aller Cross. Recorded by Hugh, Second Earl Fortescue - 'The cross was pulled down or fell down long ago and lain neglected in the farmyard there (North Aller) for many years, when it was taken up and repaired by my father's order, and erected with a circular stone seat around it in 1831, on top of the Dark Lane Wood'.
Cross height 2.28 metres, span 0.66 metres, base 0.33 by 0.33 metres with a 0.12 metre chamfer. Pedestal top: 1.01 metres by 0.39 metres high, middle: 2.39 by 0.47 metres high, bottom: 3.35 by 0.12 metres high (octagonal).

National Monuments Record, 2010, 1080892 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV345227.

Medieval Latin standing cross set into a modern three stepped octagonal pedestal. It is of a type found throughout Devon, and once stood at Aller Cross. It is thought to date from the 14th to 15th century. It was restored and resited in 1831.

English Heritage, 2010, Historic Houses Register (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV154869.

Cross approximately 120 metres north of Castle Hill House was Listed on 20 February 1967. Probably 15th century reset on 19th century base. Dressed stone. Latin cross with octagonal shaft and arms and two tier plinth with slate plaques inscribed with verses and dated 1833 on north and south sides. Other details: LBS Number 98953.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

'Cross' shown on modern mapping.

Walls, S. + Wapshott, E. + Balmond, F., 2018, Land Adjacent to Filleigh Village Hall, Filleigh, North Devon, Devon. Results of a Historical Visual Impact Assessment, 31 (Report - Assessment). SDV362928.

Medieval wayside cross set within a 19th century stepped, octagonal base. It was moved here from Aller Cross in the 1830s for use as a parkland feature. It is aesthetically pleasing in its woodland setting but it has lost its authenticity.
The proposed development in the village is not visible. The overall impact is considered to be neutral.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV9142 - Historical visual impact assessment of a proposed development on land adjacent to Filleigh Village Hall, Filleigh

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