REMAINS OF THE PRE-NORMAN PERIOD 
find that as we began 500 years before with north Italian influence pro- 
ducing beautiful work in Cumberland, so we conclude the survey with a 
new development under teaching from the same source. 
Post-Conquest Hicu CrossEs 
Before leaving the subject of Cumberland crosses it may be neces- 
sary to mention those which are not pre-Norman, but of a later date, 
though sometimes confused with the early grave-monuments. We have 
complete crosses of the medieval type at Arthuret, Kirkland, Rheda 
(Cross Lacon) and St. Bees (the resting cross) ; headless shafts at 
Dovenby, Lanercost (dated by inscription 1214) and Lazonby ; heads 
alone at Bromfield (two built into the out-house of the vicarage), 
Cumwhitton and Gosforth (built into the porch), and some sockets alone. 
Crosses used to exist, but are now lost, at Castle Sowerby (two corpse 
crosses on the common), Croglin, Lamplugh, Melmerby and at Bow 
said to have been brought from Grinsdale. Beside these are market 
crosses, as at Blennerhasset and Ireby, and finial crosses removed from 
the gables of churches, as at Melmerby and Workington (Crosshill), 
where the inscription W.H. 1303 stands for W.H. 1703, the date 
when it was built into its present position. In March, 1901, a fragment 
of a late cross was found in excavating the ruins of a chapel at the Holy 
Well, Gosforth. 
INSCRIPTIONS 
In Cumberland there have been found seven Runic inscriptions on 
stone and two on metal-work. Another which has been called Runic is 
in minuscules ; and an Anglo-Saxon cross-head at Carlisle has lettering 
in uncials. These, if not all cut before the advent of the Normans, 
belong to the pre-Norman type of remains. 
The Bewcastle cross has runes which have been the subject of 
much discussion. The reading which may be called the Textus Receptus, 
though not without difficulties, we owe mainly to the late Rev. J. 
Maughan of Bewcastle. It is as follows— 
North side, on separate lines between the ornamental panels : 
+ GESSUS T Jesus 
WULFHERE Wulfhere 
MYRCNACYNG King of the Mercians 
CYNESWIThA Cyneswitha (his sister) 
CYNNBURUG Cyneburg (their sister, wife of Alcfrith) 
South side, on separate lines between the ornamental panels : 
[illegible] 
ECGFRIThU Of Ecgfrith 
RICES ThZES of this realm 
CYNINGES king (brother of Alcfrith) 
+ FRUMAN GEAR T in the first year 
The lowest lines in each set are plainly legible; Herr Wilhelm Vietor 
however (Dz Northumbrischen Runensteine, 1895) reads CYNIBURUG. The 
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