ORNAMENT ON THE EARLY CROSSES OF CORNWALL. 37 



THE GROSS SHAFT IN S. NEOT'S CHURCHYARD.— 

 Plate 1. 



St. Neot, in the deanery of West, is 6 miles N.W. of 

 Liskeard, and 3 miles N.W. of Doublebois station on the Great 

 Western Railway. 



For several years this beautiful granite shaft had lain out- 

 side the church against the south aisle wall, but in July, 1889, 

 it was moved out, and erected on St. Neot's stone 1 in the church- 

 yard. This stone is situated opposite to the south porch, and 30 

 feet from it, and appears to be part of the base of a cross, as 

 there is a portion of the mortice remaining on the south side, the 

 rest of that side being broken off. 



This shaft is undoubtedly the best example, in granite, of 

 interlaced work to be found in Cornwall, the patterns are well 

 designed and well executed, the stone itself being in an excellent 

 state of preservation. As a proof of the work being good, it 

 will be seen that all the cords of the interlaced work lap over 

 and under each other regularly, as they always do in good Celtic 

 work. 



There is an entasis on the shaft which has beaded angles, 

 and each face is divided into three panels by beads carried 

 round nearly horizontally. The bottom panels are square on the 

 broadsides, but as the shaft is an irregular parallelogram on 

 plan, it causes them to be elongated on the narrow sides. The 

 middle panel is longest, then probably the upper one, but the 

 top of the shaft has been broken, so it is impossible to say what 

 its original height was. There may be a large piece missing, or 

 perhaps only a small portion might have been knocked off in 

 order to make it suitable for some purpose. The tenon has also 

 been broken off. 



The dimensions are — height, 6 feet 9 inches ; widths, at the 

 bottom, 1 foot 8 inches, and 1 foot 9£ inches, and 16 inches 

 thick; at the top, 1 foot 7 inches; and 14 inches, and 17 

 inches thick. All four sides are deeply sculptured as follows : 



1 Tradition says that St. Neot was so very short in stature that he was 

 unable to reach up to the keyhole of the door, and it was upon this stone he used 

 to stand and throw the key into the keyhole, whereupon the door opened ! 



