Rothbury Cross (Rothbury)
[NU 05760166] The remains of an Anglian cross were discovered when a portion of Rothbury church was demolished in 1849. It is now used partly for the stem of the 17th century font within the church, and partly preserved in the BLACKGATE Museum Newcastle upon Tyne. The portion in the church is 2ft 3ins high, 19 3/4ins by 16ins in plan, and tapers about 1/2in in the height. The cross is heavily decorated with sculptured figures, basket work and entwined foliage. [Article contains complete detailed description of ornamentation]. (1)
The late Dr Charlton stated the limb and shaft fragments to be of a Saxon churchyard cross. In the limb fragments are holes drilled for the reception of candles. The fragments are the only remains of the Anglo-Saxon settlement in the upper Coquet valley. (2)
The pieces are the head and the foot of the cross. With the entasis, the whole monument might be about 14ft from the base. It may be ascribed to the middle or late 10th century. [Full description given of Rothbury Cross]. (3)
The Rothbury cross is of the 'Hexham' school of carving. Three fragments remain, the lower termination of the shaft (which forms the pedestal of the font), the upper termination of the shaft, and a large piece of the cross head. [Position of latter portions as stated by Authy (1)]. The cross would appear to be of late 7th century date. [Full description with illustrations]. (4)
Fragments of shaft and head of Saxon cross. Rothbury church 1849. The cross is apparently of 10th or 11th century date but may be earlier. [Description of two fragments]. (5)
The lower termination of the cross-shaft is now used for the pedestal of the font, which is at the west end of the church, All Saints, Rothbury. (6)
Portions of shaft and head in location as stated by Authy (1). (7)
Cross head and shaft. 1956.234.1,2A. c.AD800-850. Incomplete sandstone cross shaft and head, three sections survive; (a) incomplete head, (b) top of shaft, (c) foot of shaft. Top of shaft reddened by heat. Top of shaft and head were found in walls of the parish church in 1849-50 during restoration. Presented to Society of Antiquaries on 6th March 1850. Foot of shaft first mentioned in 1856 when it was recognised as the pier supporting the font - it still supports the font, [detailed description of fragments and discussion].
The cross is among the major works of Northumbrian stone carving. Seems to be the earliest surviving stone rood in England. (8)
Base of the font is dated 1664. (9)
Little is known of the origins of the Anglian Rothbury Cross. Three pieces of the cross survive which are the cross-head, the base and the top of the shaft. Since 1664 the base of the shaft has been as the font in the current church of the town. The other two pieces were recovered only in 1849 during the rebuilding of the church when they were found inside a wall where they had been re-used as walling materials.
Reconstruction of the cross as a whole suggests a cross of originally 14 feet high. The cross is of uncertain date - it may be early 9th century date, though a 10th century date has been also proposed. The appearance of the cross is reconstructed differently in a recent (2012) article to the previous reconstructions of the scholars Hodges, Collingwood and Cramp between the 1920s and 1980s. This reconstruction proposes that the Hell scene is still underneath the crowd, but the broader sides are completely changed - Christ in Majesty now towers over the interlace of the bottom fragment, and on the opposite side Christ ascends towards Heaven underneath a miracle scene. (10)
The Rothbury Cross fragments are recorded in the regional Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture as Rothbury 01 though in reality a series of three stones located at the Museum of Antiquities [now Great North Museum: Hancock] in Newcastle upon Tyne and as the font base in Rothbury Church. The cross is dated to the first half of the 9th century AD, as opposed to the earlier and later dates proposed by other authorities given above. (11)
The nimbed and oval face of the figure of Christ depicted on this monument derives from a late antique western provenance of late 8th and early 9th century date. (12)
The late Dr Charlton stated the limb and shaft fragments to be of a Saxon churchyard cross. In the limb fragments are holes drilled for the reception of candles. The fragments are the only remains of the Anglo-Saxon settlement in the upper Coquet valley. (2)
The pieces are the head and the foot of the cross. With the entasis, the whole monument might be about 14ft from the base. It may be ascribed to the middle or late 10th century. [Full description given of Rothbury Cross]. (3)
The Rothbury cross is of the 'Hexham' school of carving. Three fragments remain, the lower termination of the shaft (which forms the pedestal of the font), the upper termination of the shaft, and a large piece of the cross head. [Position of latter portions as stated by Authy (1)]. The cross would appear to be of late 7th century date. [Full description with illustrations]. (4)
Fragments of shaft and head of Saxon cross. Rothbury church 1849. The cross is apparently of 10th or 11th century date but may be earlier. [Description of two fragments]. (5)
The lower termination of the cross-shaft is now used for the pedestal of the font, which is at the west end of the church, All Saints, Rothbury. (6)
Portions of shaft and head in location as stated by Authy (1). (7)
Cross head and shaft. 1956.234.1,2A. c.AD800-850. Incomplete sandstone cross shaft and head, three sections survive; (a) incomplete head, (b) top of shaft, (c) foot of shaft. Top of shaft reddened by heat. Top of shaft and head were found in walls of the parish church in 1849-50 during restoration. Presented to Society of Antiquaries on 6th March 1850. Foot of shaft first mentioned in 1856 when it was recognised as the pier supporting the font - it still supports the font, [detailed description of fragments and discussion].
The cross is among the major works of Northumbrian stone carving. Seems to be the earliest surviving stone rood in England. (8)
Base of the font is dated 1664. (9)
Little is known of the origins of the Anglian Rothbury Cross. Three pieces of the cross survive which are the cross-head, the base and the top of the shaft. Since 1664 the base of the shaft has been as the font in the current church of the town. The other two pieces were recovered only in 1849 during the rebuilding of the church when they were found inside a wall where they had been re-used as walling materials.
Reconstruction of the cross as a whole suggests a cross of originally 14 feet high. The cross is of uncertain date - it may be early 9th century date, though a 10th century date has been also proposed. The appearance of the cross is reconstructed differently in a recent (2012) article to the previous reconstructions of the scholars Hodges, Collingwood and Cramp between the 1920s and 1980s. This reconstruction proposes that the Hell scene is still underneath the crowd, but the broader sides are completely changed - Christ in Majesty now towers over the interlace of the bottom fragment, and on the opposite side Christ ascends towards Heaven underneath a miracle scene. (10)
The Rothbury Cross fragments are recorded in the regional Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture as Rothbury 01 though in reality a series of three stones located at the Museum of Antiquities [now Great North Museum: Hancock] in Newcastle upon Tyne and as the font base in Rothbury Church. The cross is dated to the first half of the 9th century AD, as opposed to the earlier and later dates proposed by other authorities given above. (11)
The nimbed and oval face of the figure of Christ depicted on this monument derives from a late antique western provenance of late 8th and early 9th century date. (12)
N2932
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1957; A S Phillips
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