Scheduled Monument record MDR2309 - Cross Shaft, St Peter's Church, Off School Lane, Hope

Cross shaft, St Peter's Church, off School Lane, Hope, an 11th century structure. 'This cross was found in pieces which were put together and set up in the churchyard. Its exact provenance seems to be unknown, but it must have stood somewhere in the vicinity. The shaft stands 6ft 6ins high from the base into which it is socketed, and is 15ins by 11ins in section at the bottom, tapering to 11ins by 7ins, with strong entasis on either side. On the western side is a man carrying a cross; lower, beneath a segmental-headed panel, two figures embracing, and still lower, an interlaced pattern made up of three ring-knots, each having two concentric rings in the interlacement. On the eastern face, where the arrises are much broken, is, at the top, an interlace of late character, lower, two figures holding up a long staff, and below them the Scandinavian ring-knot with two concentric rings, and still lower, two very unusual loop-patterns, showing but little invention, within round-topped framings. On the north and south sides are interlaced patterns. The interlacements through loose rings that have no organic connection with the interlacements are a sure sign of the 10th century. The cross, in the absence of its head, is not strongly characterised, but the slab-like proportions and absence of Anglian motives point to a date at the end of the century.' (1) 'Hope. In the churchyard a Saxon Cross shaft, with interlace and on the east and west faces, pairs of figures, badly preserved, c9th century.' (2) 'The monument is a probable ninth century high cross located immediately south of St Peter's Church. It comprises a rectangular section gritstone shaft set into a modern socle or socket stone. Originally a cross head would have surmounted the shaft but this is now missing. The shaft is c.2.5m tall by 42cm wide north-south by 26cm east-west and has been broken and pieced back together. Its original location is not known but it is common for early medieval crosses in Derbyshire to have been located south of a church. The shaft tapers towards the top and is also slightly tapered near the base. Flat-band mouldings line its angles, ending in small plinths at the base. These mouldings, which are broken in places, frame panels of carved ornamentation. The west face of the cross includes three panels separated by flat-band mouldings. The topmost contains interlace decoration, the bottom one a circular 'Celtic' style of interlace, and the centre one a pair of figures in a rectangular frame. The figures are too faint to identify. The east face has five panels, the topmost containing interlace while the next one down contains a possible crucifixion scene comprising two figures on either side of an eroded vertical object which may be a cross or a tree. The middle panel contains more 'Celtic' interlace and the two lower panels each contain a stylised leaf or flower, more or less identical but for the angle at which each is set and comprising a single stalk with five petals or leaf segments. The north and south faces each have a small upper panel, accounting for about a quarter of the shaft, with a larger panel below which, in both cases, contains interlace decoration. On the south face the upper panel contains interlace of a different form while, on the north face, it contains floral decoration comprising berries and curling leaves. This design indicates that, although the cross includes elements suggestive of Viking influence, it is probably a late example of a native Anglian cross rather than a true Anglo-Scandinavian hybrid. The cross is also Listed Grade II.' (3) 'The Saxon cross shaft is situated at SK 17238346 - see G.P. AO/65/95/1. It is 11th century in date. The base is gritstone with Saxon interlace decoration and pair of figures on the east and west faces. It was reset on a square 20th century base.' (4) Phototgraphs. (5-7) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 18 SE PARISH OF HOPE CASTLETON ROAD 7/71 (South Side) 21.4.67 Cross shaft 1m south of St Peter's Church GV II Cross shaft. C11. Gritstone with Saxon interlace decoration and pairs of figures on the east and west faces, reset on square C20 base. Listing NGR: SK1723083459.' (8)