

ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS 



Along the top is a band with an interlaced ribbon. The ornamented side 

 has an arcade of six members worked upon it. The arches are semicircular, 

 and have capitals and columns beneath them. The wider end has two arches 

 of the arcade worked upon it, the other a square cross patee. As one side 

 is plain it is probable that this stone was placed against a wall inside the 

 early church. There are still remaining at Gainford a number of stones. 

 In the porch of the church are two flat grave covers, used as portions of the 

 stone seats. That on the east side has a cross, with broad tapering shaft 

 worked in a sunk panel with semi-circular head. The angles of the shaft 

 are beaded. The cross-head is of the circular patee form, and all four 

 limbs are completely developed. In the spaces between the limbs are large 

 balls. The panel has beaded angles produced by grooves. 



That on the west side has a square cross patee with all the limbs equally 

 developed and enclosed by a circle. The stem has parallel sides for a distance 

 equal to the diameter of the circle. It then divides and forms two and 

 a half lozenges before it reaches the foot. The lozenges enclose smaller ones, 

 and the spaces between them become chevrons, or they may be described as 

 three parallel chevroned bands produced by four incised lines. The whole 

 design seems to anticipate the chevron work of the Norman period. In 

 general character however it appears to be of early date, and as similarly 

 formed chevrons occur on the portion of a cross-shaft in the tower, associated 

 with distinctly pre-Conquest designs, there can be little doubt that this grave- 

 cover also belongs to this period. 



Built into the walls of the porch are several other stones. One of these 

 is a headstone with rounded top, 14 inches wide and 16 inches high. The 

 bottom is left rough for inserting into the ground. The upper part has a 

 sunk panel containing a small cross patee 6 inches square, with a shaft only 

 i J inches high. In the north angle of the porch are two small fragments 

 with some remains of sculpture with lacertine designs, but not sufficient to 

 indicate what they may have been. 



Over the doorway, between the newel staircase of the tower and the 

 ringing chamber, and forming the lintel to it, are two pieces of cross-shafts. 

 The position they occupy only allows one side of one of them and two sides 

 of the other to be examined. On one is a series of designs produced by 

 incised lines, two of which are visible. One has eight chevrons with their 

 points towards the centre of the shaft, the other is a surface pattern produced 

 by lines crossing at angles of about 40 deg. and i inches apart, forming a 

 series of small lozenges. The other stone has on the face a design very 

 similar to the spiral monster with tail forming the regular plait-work 

 described above. l The side visible has upon it an interlaced design with a 

 series of circles looped together with a continuous band. 



At the east end of the south aisle is a small fragment measuring 7 inches 

 by 7 inches on the face, with a plain knot design. On the east side of the 

 exterior of the porch is another piece 16 inches by 9 inches with a six-cord 

 plait of divided bands. In the same wall is another stone, which appears to be 

 the edge of a grave-cover, worked with a design resembling an interlaced arcade. 



In the garden wall of the vicarage is a stone measuring 1 1 inches by 

 9 inches with knot-work on the face. 



1 Havcrfield and Grcenwell, tf. cit. 99, No. xxiii. 

 231 



