page_title: Stone crosses in Cornwall
section_title: Crosses in Kerrier hundred
hierarchical_section_title: Stone crosses in Cornwall / Crosses in Kerrier hundred
caption_attribution_description: It is the tallest known cross in Cornwall, 17 feet 6 ins long, but with 7 ft of its length embedded in the ground... A particularly fine medieval cross and may be an example of a pagan monolith partly recut for use as a Christian symbol.
context_page_description: Wayside crosses and Celtic inscribed stones are found in Cornwall in large numbers; the inscribed stones are thought to be earlier in date than the crosses and are a product of Celtic Christian society. It is likely that the crosses represent a development from the inscribed stones but nothing is certain about the dating of them. In the late Middle Ages it is likely that their erection was very common. Since they occur in locations of various types, e.g. by the wayside, in churchyards, and in moorlands. Those by roadsides and on moorlands were doubtless intended as rout markings. A few may have served as boundary stones, and others like the wayside shrines found in Catholic European countries. Crosses to which inscriptions have been added must have been memorial stones. According to W. G. V. Balchin "The crosses are either plain or ornamented, invariably carved in granite, and the great majority are of the wheel-headed Celtic type." Their distribution shows a greater concentration in west Cornwall and a gradual diminution further east and further north. In the extreme northeast none are found because it had been settled by West Saxons.
context_section_description: Parishes B - L
  In the churchyard of Breage there is an unusual Hiberno-Saxon cross head. There is a Cornish cross in the churchyard at Godolphin Cross. In 1886 it was moved to the churchyard having been found in use as a gatepost on the Chytodden estate.
  There are two Cornish crosses (illustrated Fig. b6) in the parish of Budock; both are in the churchyard. There is also a cross base at Nangitha.
  Andrew Langdon (1999) lists twelve stone crosses, or parts of crosses located in the parish of Constantine. One of these was carved and erected in 1991. Several have been transferred from other sites. The stone cross at the cross-roads in High Cross was found in 1992 and re-erected nearby at the crossroad, in April 2000.
  Arthur Langdon (1896) recorded six Cornish crosses in the parish; in the churchyard, at Bosvathick, at Merthen, at Nanjarrow, at Trevease and at Trewardreva {illustrated Fig. b8). In 1993 a medieval stone cross was found built into a collapsing Cornish hedge at the junction of the road from Constantine to Penryn and the road from Mawnan Smith (illustrated Fig. b9).
  There is a Cornish cross (illustrated Fig. b10) in the churchyard of Cury; it is probably the old churchyard cross but was found in a ditch nearby in 1849 and set up in its present position.
  The small cross in Gunwalloe churchyard was found in the 19th century and taken to Penrose. At a later date it was placed in the churchyard.
  There is a Cornish cross (illustrated Fig. b11) in the churchyard of Gwennap which was moved to the vicarage garden in the 1840s from Chapel Moor. It has a crude crucifixus figure and a small Latin cross on the front and a large Latin cross on the back and is probably a fragment of a larger cross. There is also an ornamented cross shaft which was found in the church wall about 1860 and by mistake used again in the vestry foundations.
  There are three Cornish crosses in Helston: one in Cross Street (illustrated Fig. b12) and two in Mr. Baddeley's garden (Cross Street). One of the latter crosses was removed from Tresprison, Wendron, and other from near Trelill Holy Well, Wendron. The cross from Trelill has ornament on the front and back of the shaft. One of the crosses is now Grade II* listed as "Stone cross near junction with Church Street".
  There is a Cornish cross (illustrated Fig. b13) in the village of Lizard, Landewednack.
  Parishes M - P
  In the churchyard of Mabe there is a Celtic cross (illustrated Fig. b14) which was found in the vicarage garden and installed near the porch, at some time between 1919 and 1930. There is another cross at Helland, a farm where there was a garden formerly the site of an ancient chapel.
  There is a fragment of a cross head built into the north aisle wall at the parish church of Mawnan; it was found in the churchyard in 1881.
  Mullion: There is a Cornish cross (illustrated Fig. b15) near the hamlet of Predannack. It has a broad Latin cross on the front and an incised Latin cross on the back.
  The cross in the churchyard of Mylor is the largest in Cornwall (10 ft high). The cross was only identified as such in 1870 as it had been buried head downwards in the earth so that the part above ground could serve as a post. The stone is 17 ft 6 in long and there is a local tradition that it marked the site of St Mylor's grave not far from the place where it was found. It is thought to be of pre-Christian origin. It was set up as it is now by sailors from HMS Ganges. There is a Cornish cross in the churchyard of Flushing. It was found in a farm building at Porloe in 1891 and moved to the churchyard. The head has a crude crucifixus figure on the front and a Latin cross on the back.
  Parishes S - W
  At Tregullow near Scorrier, St Day, there are two Cornish crosses: one of them formerly stood between Ponsanooth and Pengreep and was for a time used as a gatepost. There are two Cornish crosses in the gardens of Scorrier House: the original site of the first cross is unknown; on the front of it is a curious representation of Christ with his right hand raised and on the back a Latin cross. The other cross originall
caption: Fig. b5: the cross in the churchyard of Mylor
exif: {"Image Make": "Panasonic", "Image Model": "DMC-LF1", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "240", "Image YResolution": "240", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop Elements 11.0 Macintosh", "Image DateTime": "2016:03:26 19:53:37", "Image ExifOffset": "216", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "806", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "9504", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/500", "EXIF FNumber": "14/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "80", "EXIF SensitivityType": "Standard Output Sensitivity", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0230", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2016:03:23 15:20:40", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2016:03:23 15:20:40", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "1120723/125000", "EXIF ApertureValue": "1485427/500000", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "2", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF LightSource": "Unknown", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "6", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3004", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "4248", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Bracket", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF DigitalZoomRatio": "0", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "28", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF GainControl": "None", "EXIF Contrast": "Normal", "EXIF Saturation": "Normal", "EXIF Sharpness": "Normal"}