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Description

Reasons for Designation A standing cross is a free standing upright structure, usually of stone, mostly erected during the medieval period (mid 10th to mid 16th centuries AD). Standing crosses served a variety of functions. In churchyards they served as stations for outdoor processions, particularly in the observance of Palm Sunday. Elsewhere, standing crosses were used within settlements as places for preaching, public proclamation and penance, as well as defining rights of sanctuary. Standing crosses were also employed to mark boundaries between parishes, property, or settlements. A few crosses were erected to commemorate battles. Some crosses were linked to particular saints, whose support and protection their presence would have helped to invoke. Crosses in market places may have helped to validate transactions. After the Reformation, some crosses continued in use as foci for municipal or borough ceremonies, for example as places for official proclamations and announcements; some were the scenes of games or recreational activity. Standing crosses were distributed throughout England and are thought to have numbered in excess of 12,000. However, their survival since the Reformation has been variable, being much affected by local conditions, attitudes and religious sentiment. In particular, many cross-heads were destroyed by iconoclasts during the 16th and 17th centuries. Less than 2,000 medieval standing crosses, with or without cross-heads, are now thought to exist. The oldest and most basic form of standing cross is the monolith, a stone shaft often set directly in the ground without a base. The most common form is the stepped cross, in which the shaft is set in a socket stone and raised upon a flight of steps; this type of cross remained current from the 11th to 12th centuries until after the Reformation. Where the cross-head survives it may take a variety of forms, from a lantern-like structure to a crucifix; the more elaborate examples date from the 15th century. Much less common than stepped crosses are spire-shaped crosses, often composed of three or four receding stages with elaborate architectural decoration and/or sculptured figures; the most famous of these include the Eleanor crosses, erected by Edward I at the stopping places of the funeral cortege of his wife, who died in 1290. Also uncommon are the preaching crosses which were built in public places from the 13th century, typically in the cemeteries of religious communities and cathedrals, market places and wide thoroughfares; they include a stepped base, buttresses supporting a vaulted canopy, in turn carrying either a shaft and head or a pinnacled spire. Standing crosses contribute significantly to our understanding of medieval customs, both secular and religious, and to our knowledge of medieval parishes and settlement patterns. All crosses which survive as standing monuments, especially those which stand in or near their original location, are considered worthy of protection. Gelston village cross is a good example of the stepped base of a medieval standing cross. Situated on the village green, it is believed to stand in or near its original position. Limited disturbance of the area immediately surrounding the cross indicates that archaeological deposits relating to the monument's construction and use in this location are likely to survive intact. The cross has not been restored, and has continued in use as a public monument and amenity from medieval times to the present day. Details The monument includes Gelston village cross, a Grade II Listed standing stone cross, located on the village green. The cross is of stepped form, constructed of limestone and is medieval in date. The monument includes the base, comprising three steps, a plinth and a socket-stone, and a fragment of the shaft. The base includes three steps of square plan covering an area about 1.9m square. The lowest step is partially buried on the north and west, and the upper corners of the second step are chamfered. The plinth is 0.87m square at the base and chamfered above to a height of 0.2m. On the plinth rests the socket-stone, a single limestone block measuring 0.7m square in section with corners chamfered above and below, reaching about 0.51m in height. There is a circular hole in each side for the fixing of iron railings or other fittings; these are now plugged with mortar. In the top of the stone is the socket, 0.32m square in section, into which the shaft is set with lead and cement. The shaft is of rounded rectangular section at the base, 0.3m x 0.27m, and tapers to a height of 0.64m. There is a small hole in the middle of the western face. The full height of the cross is about 1.74m. The monument includes a 1m margin around the cross which is considered essential for the monument's support and preservation.

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