The Corpus: Brompton in Allertonshire 12

Volume 6: Northern Yorkshire

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Current Display: Brompton in Allertonshire 12, Yorkshire North Riding

Overview

Object type: Cross-head [1]

Measurements: H. 30 cm (11.8 in) W. 34.5 cm (13.5 in) D. 15.2 > 14 cm (6 > 5 in)

Stone type: As Brompton In Allertonshire 9 (St Thomas) 3. However, this cross-head contains a quantity of mica arranged parallel along the bedding planes, which has resulted in the vertical splitting parallel to the main faces.

Plate numbers in printed volume: Ills. 62–5

Corpus volume reference: Vol 6 p. 72

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Present Location

Monks' Dormitory, Durham cathedral, catalogue no. 52

Evidence for Discovery

See Brompton In Allertonshire 4 (St Thomas)

Church Dedication

St Thomas

Present Condition

The upper part of a cross-head; crisp but split through its thickness

Description

A plate-head cross of type B 10 with broadly curving arm-pits and shallow squared arms.

A (broad) : The edge moulding is well modelled. In the centre is a defaced circular boss surrounded by gridded interlace which fills the lateral arms with the 'Brompton loop'. The upper limb is taller and is given an additional symmetrical loop. The strand is well modelled.

B (narrow) : The arm-tip has a modelled edge moulding which frames neat gridded closed circuit interlace in modelled strand. The free ends of two straps terminate in the top corners by apparently merging into the edge moulding.

C (broad) : As face A, but more damaged.

D (narrow) : All features have worn away.

Discussion

This belongs to the same sub-group of plate-heads as no. 11, though this piece was gridded and the control of the interlace with an extra loop in the upper limb to accommodate to the longer arm speaks of a surer hand. The cutting is well modelled and the symmetry exact. The lateral arms are wedge-shaped but the taller upper limb is squared, yet the balance is preserved.

Date

First half of tenth century

References

Haverfield and Greenwell 1899, 116, no. LII, figs. on 116; Collingwood 1907, 300; Collingwood 1912, 123; Collingwood 1926a, 326; Elgee and Elgee 1933, 219; Cramp 1965a, 7, no. 52; Bailey 1978b, 183, fig. 9.10; Bailey 1980, 240, 252, fig. 70

Endnotes

[1]The following are general references to the Brompton stones: (—) 1867–8, lxxxviii; Rowe 1870, 240; (—) 1871–2, xxiv; Greenwell 1869–79a, lx; Rowe 1877, 61–4; Allen and Browne 1885, 352; Browne 1885–6, 124, 128; Saywell 1886, 481; Allen 1887, 126, 386, fig. 28; (—) 1890–5a, viii; Haverfield and Greenwell 1899, 125–6; Bulmer 1890, 389; Hodges 1894, 195; Morris, J. 1904, 32, 84–5, 420; Bogg 1908, 28–32, ills. on 29 and 32; Page, W. 1914, 430, 431; Morris, J. 1931, 33, 86, 87, 417; Elgee and Elgee 1933, 219–20, 245; Mee 1941, 41–2; Fisher 1959, 89; Pevsner 1966, 90, pl. 8; Bailey 1980, 85, 100, 240, 252, 255, 265; Kerr and Kerr 1982, 38–9 and ill.; Morris, R. 1983, 7; Cramp 1984, 11, 30, 93; Bailey and Cramp 1988, 54; Lang 1988a, 14, 24, 56; Cambridge 1989, 378; Richards 1991, 80, 119, 124, ill. 81; Everson and Stocker 1999, 138; Stocker 2000, 205–6.