98 PRE-NORMAN CROSS-SHAFTS FOUND AT NORBURY. 



cross into blocks of convenient size, and utilizing the pieces 

 thus obtained as building material. There are numerous 

 instances of this practice in different parts of the kingdom, 

 as at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Scotland, Durham Cathedral 

 in England, Gosforth church, Cumberland, Leeds parish 

 church, and in many other cases. However much we may 

 regret the mutilation of the pre-Norman sculptureld monuments 

 by the church builders of a later period, it must always be 

 a source of satisfaction to the antiquary to think that portions 

 of crosses which would otherwise have inevitably perished by 

 long exposure to the weather have, in consequence of their 

 usefulness as building material, been preserved, with the details 

 of the ornamental carving as perfect now as it was nearly a 

 thousand years ago. 



We will now proceed to describe the two pre-Norman 

 fragments found at Norbury. 



No. I is a cross-shaft of sandstone, 5 ft. 3 ins. high by 

 10 ins. wide at the top and i ft. 3 ins. wide at the bottom, 

 by vi ins. thick at the top and 11^ ins. thick at the bottom, 

 sculptured in relief on four faces, thus : — 



Front. — A single panel of ten-cord plaitwork with double-beaded cords. 



Back. — A single panel of interlaced work, composed of circular rings 

 and would-be rings, with four pointed loops joined together, and the 

 same pattern repeated three times. In the upper two repetitions of the 

 pattern the circular rings are double, and in the bottom one they are 

 treble. The circular rings are concentric in each case, und the cords 

 forming the other would-be rings with four loops are crossed over and 

 joined where each of the pointed loops meet, so as to make the inter- 

 laced design continuous. The design terminates at the bottom in a small 

 bit of three-cord plaitwork placed horizontally, leaving two cords with 

 loose ends. All the cords are double-beaded. 



Right Side. — A single panel containing, at the top, a piece of inter- 

 laced work composed of figure-of-eight knots with double-beaded cords ; 

 and at the bottom the figure of a man holding an object resembling a 

 staff in his hand. 



Left Side. — At the top, a small horizontal band of twisted work, 

 forming the top of a single panel containing double-beaded interlaced 

 work, composed of an undulating cord with Stafford knots in each of 

 the bends. The lower part is defaced. 



