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Object type: Centre of cross-head [1]
Measurements: H. 18.5 cm (7.3 in); W. 23 cm (9 in); D. 7.5 cm (3 in)
Stone type: Sandstone, clean, pale buff-brown colour, fine to medium grained, coarsely laminated (30 mm spacing). Micaceous on laminae surfaces. Upper Carboniferous, Pennine Lower Coal Measures Group. [G.L.]
Plate numbers in printed volume: Ills. 612-4
Corpus volume reference: Vol 8 p. 225
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A (broad): The more complete face has a smoothly dressed surface, in which part of the edge of one armpit is defined by a fine double-incised border, and the centre by a double-incised circle within which fine incised lines form a marigold pattern or cross. The lines are irregular and not particularly well-cut.
B and D (narrow): Missing
C (broad): This has part of a similar border to face A, and the centre held a decoration, possibly a marigold as on A.
Collingwood (1915a, 227, fig. n) reconstructed this cross-head as if some of the incised decoration developed into a very simple late-looking interlace, in effect a Stafford Knot (simple pattern E) in each arm. This is far from certain, however. The fragment is perhaps too small to be safely datable, but the delicate incised pattern could be part of an early, rather plain cross-head, although the embellishment of the central boss continues for some time (see High Hoyland 1, face C; p. 165, Ill. 327).
This piece certainly looks like part of a cross-head, but is one of three fragments from this site which is considered geologically unsuitable for a standing cross because of its laminated lithology. This could mean that it is in fact part of a recumbent slab, or more probably that its unsuitability was not initially recognised. See also Otley 15 and 16.
