A HISTORY OF DERBYSHIRE 



The monuments which occur at these places may be classified as 

 follows : 



COMPLETE CROSSES : Bakewell, Eyam. 



CROSS-HEADS AND FRAGMENTS OF CROSS-HEADS : Bradbourne. 



CROSS-SHAFTS AND FRAGMENTS OF CROSS-SHAFTS : Ashbourne, Aston, Bakewell, Blackwell, Brad- 

 bourne, Darley Dale, Derby St. Alkmund, Eccles Pike, Hope, Norbury, Spondon. 

 FRAGMENTS OF ROUND PILLAR-CROSSES : Bakewell, Ludworth, Wilne, Fernilee Hall. 

 RECUMBENT COPED MONUMENTS : Bakewell, Repton, Wirksworth. 



A detailed description of the monuments follows : 



ASHBOURNE. The bishop of Bristol (formerly the Rev. G. F. Browne, B.D.) says in a 

 paper ' On the Pre-Norman Sculptured Stones of Derbyshire' 1 that at 'Ashbourne there are 

 two fragments. One has been known for some time ; it has bold and somewhat unusual 

 interlacement on it. The other was only found in 1885 ; it has bold interlacements, and 

 also the much perished representation of some animal or nondescript.' 



ASTON. S In the exterior walling of the west end of the north aisle of Aston church is 

 the lower portion of a cross. The sculptured pattern of the exposed surface is in good preser- 

 vation. Bishop Browne (Journ. Derb, Arch. Soc. viii. 177) considers that the pattern much 

 more resembles northern crosses than any other work in the county. He compares the 

 lacertine ornament of the upper part to a panel of the magnificent shaft at Abercorn on the 

 Forth. Below this is a system of three concentric circles with double diameters interlacing, 

 as on the face of the Hope cross. 



BAKEWELL. The monuments now at Bakewell consist of an erect cross in the church- 

 yard close to the east wall of the south transept and a large number of fragments preserved 

 in the south porch, which were found during the repairs executed in 1841. Besides these 

 are a coped stone and a fragment with an inscription in Anglian runes now removed to the 

 Weston museum at Sheffield. 



The cross in the churchyard is complete, with the exception of the top arm, which has 

 been broken off. It is 7 feet high, and the shaft measures I foot 9 inches by i foot 2 inches 

 at the bottom and I foot 6 inches by I foot I inch at the top. The front of the cross 

 (facing north) is decorated with figure subjects, and the remaining three faces of the shaft 

 with scroll foliage. At the top of the north face on the head of the cross and extending 

 some way down the shaft is a representation of the Crucifixion, with the soldiers with the 

 spear and sponge on each side. The shaft is divided into four panels with arched tops con- 

 taining (i) the Annunciation (?) ; (ii) a figure holding a cross over the left shoulder ; (iii) a 

 figure holding a horn in front of the body ; and (iv) sculpture defaced. The borders of the 

 panels are treated like stems of foliage, as indicated by the peculiar markings where the 

 arched tops of the panels branch off from the vertical stems at each side. On the end of 

 the east arm of the cross is a small panel of looped interlaced work, and on the west arm a 

 three-quarter length figure of a saint. On the head of the back of the cross (facing south) 

 is a man on horseback trampling on foliage. It had been suggested that this represents 

 Christ's entry into Jerusalem. The foliage on the south face forms three extremely bold 

 scrolls, with bunches of grapes in the centre of each scroll and leaves filling up the spandrels 

 at the sides. At the bottom is an archer with bow outstretched shooting an arrow through 

 the foliage at a small animal at the top of the shaft, which is nibbling the leaves of the vine. 

 The foliage on the east and west faces is of similar character, but the scrolls are smaller and 

 more numerous to suit the narrower width of the panels. 



The coped stone in the porch at Bakewell is decorated with interlaced foliage and a 

 figure subject, which may perhaps be intended for the Flight into Egypt. The second 

 coped stone, now in the Sheffield museum, is sculptured with panels of interlaced work and 

 strange beasts. 



Amongst the stones in the porch is to be seen a portion of a pillar cross of round section at 

 the bottom and square section at the top, having interlaced work on one of the square faces. 



The remaining stones on the porch consist of fragments of cross-shafts ornamented with 

 interlaced work, spirals, foliage, and figure subjects. 



The rune-inscribed 3 fragment from Bakewell now in the Sheffield museum measures 



1 Journ. Derb. Arck. Soc. viii. i8i-z. * Cox, Churches of Derbyshire, iv. pi. 2. 



1 Illustrated in Jount. Derb. Arck. See. viii. 14. 



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