Whalley Churchyard - Stone Cross (2 of 2) - Red Rose Collections from Lancashire County Council

iBase ID

267703

Reference identifier

ECL20131029004

Title

Whalley Churchyard - Stone Cross (2 of 2)

Place

Whalley

Personal names

General notes

The Church of St. Mary and All Saints, sometimes called Whalley Parish Church, is one of the oldest in Lancashire. It is believed to have been founded before 628 AD and underwent  further rebuilding in the 8th Century with Norman additions from c.1080 AD.  Perhaps after a disastrous fire the current form of the church was established from around 1200 AD.

The church was tied to Whalley Abbey and was the centre of the largest Parish in Lancashire (and the second largest in England). A rich legacy of historical artefacts is the result, including three stone crosses in the churchyard.

The Monks of Whalley Abbey apparently believed them to be of the 6th Century AD, erected to commemorate a visit by St. Augustine. There is no firm evidence that he ever visited Whalley, however, and the current evidence suggests that all are of different ages and date from the 10th and 11th Century AD,  before the Norman Conquest.

The crosses share some common features that strongly indicate they were the product of the Celtic branch of Christianity brought to Whalley via Iona. It is thought that if St Augustine did visit - although it is far more likely that St Paulinus did so - they would have been in Whalley to encourage Christians' adherence to the Roman branch of Christianity. Both had been dispatched to the "Land of the Angles" by Pope Gregory "the Great".

The cross in this image stands near the Porch. It is approximately 2.2 metres high and its carving is the best preserved of the three crosses in the churchyard.  The rich carving is argued to represent a Celtic cum Nordic design variously known as the Tree of Calvary or Tree of Life, both associated with Christianity.

However, part of the shaft is missing and the head badly damaged. This may have been inflicted in the period between 1649 and 1660 when England was a republic and Puritanism at its height. The crosses were reported to have been pulled down and thrown into a ditch whence they were recovered sometime between 1738 and 1776.

Elsewhere, on the cross standing in the western side of the churchyard carries an image known as "the Dog of Berser", a Nordic design, representing God the Creator.

The Church of St. Mary and All Saints, sometimes called Whalley Parish Church, is one of the oldest in Lancashire. It is believed to have been founded before 628 AD and underwent further rebuilding in the 8th Century with Norman additions from c.1080 AD. Perhaps after a disastrous fire the current form of the church was established from around 1200 AD.

The church was tied to Whalley Abbey and was the centre of the largest Parish in Lancashire (and the second largest in England). A rich legacy of historical artefacts is the result, including three stone crosses in the churchyard.

The Monks of Whalley Abbey apparently believed them to be of the 6th Century AD, erected to commemorate a visit by St. Augustine. There is no firm evidence that he ever visited Whalley, however, and the current evidence suggests that all are of different ages and date from the 10th and 11th Century AD, before the Norman Conquest.

The crosses share some common features that strongly indicate they were the product of the Celtic branch of Christianity brought to Whalley via Iona. It is thought that if St Augustine did visit - although it is far more likely that St Paulinus did so - they would have been in Whalley to encourage Christians' adherence to the Roman branch of Christianity. Both had been dispatched to the "Land of the Angles" by Pope Gregory "the Great".

The cross in this image stands near the Porch. It is approximately 2.2 metres high and its carving is the best preserved of the three crosses in the churchyard. The rich carving is argued to represent a Celtic cum Nordic design variously known as the Tree of Calvary or Tree of Life, both associated with Christianity.

However, part of the shaft is missing and the head badly damaged. This may have been inflicted in the period between 1649 and 1660 when England was a republic and Puritanism at its height. The crosses were reported to have been pulled down and thrown into a ditch whence they were recovered sometime between 1738 and 1776.

Elsewhere, on the cross standing in the western side of the churchyard carries an image known as "the Dog of Berser", a Nordic design, representing God the Creator.

Medium

Photographic print

Colour

Monochrome

Original image size

Year of image

Enter year in yyyy format

Locator

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MARIO Map

Collection link

Web link