Built into the interior north wall of the north transept of the church, above a door, along with other decorated fragments of stone

This fragment (along with Wirksworth 2, 3, 4 and 6) were discovered at an unknown date when the church walls were stripped of internal plaster. They appear to have been rebuilt into the church walls either during the medieval period, or more likely when the church was restored in 1870 (Listed Entry No. 1335090).

St Mary the Virgin

Fragmentary but carving in reasonably good condition

This fragment appears to be decorated with a simple pattern comprising a four-stranded interlace composed of two of the strands crossing diagonally at the centre with the others forming the curving outer strands of the interlace, of which only one register of the pattern survives. The fragmentary nature of the decoration, however, means it is possible that it comprised a closed-circuit motif instead. The decoration is contained by double edge mouldings, the outer appears to be of the rolled type, the inner, a flat moulding.

The piece is too fragmentary to add much to the discussion. That it is part of a cross-shaft is strengthened by the taper of the stone, consistent with other Anglo-Saxon free-standing sculpture elsewhere. The probable use of a four-stranded plait suggests that the stone may have had similarities with the more poorly-executed shafts on the periphery of the Peak District. A similar closed-circuit pattern can be seen on Alstonefield 3 in Staffordshire (Ill. 487).

Possibly tenth century

Sidebottom 1999, 215