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Edzell Parish Church

Cross (8th Century)

Site Name Edzell Parish Church

Classification Cross (8th Century)

Canmore ID 242661

Site Number NO56NE 7.04

NGR NO 5827 6871

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/242661

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Digital Images

Administrative Areas

  • Council Angus
  • Parish Edzell
  • Former Region Tayside
  • Former District Angus
  • Former County Angus

Early Medieval Carved Stones Project

Edzell 1 (St Drostan/St Laurence), Angus, fragment of cross

Measurements: H 0.18m, W 0.33m, D 0.18m

Stone type: Old Red Sandstone

Place of discovery: NO 5827 6871

Present location:

Evidence for discovery: found during rebuilding of the churchyard wall in 1870 and lost by 1882. It was rediscovered buried a few inches down in the churchyard in 1952 and placed in the gatehouse to the churchyard. In 1984 it was taken to Edzell Castle and displayed in the summerhouse. It is now displayed in the HES Visitor Centre.

Present condition: broken and worn.

Description

This fragment represents the central roundel, rounded armpits and left side-arm of what must have been a small but imposing free-standing cross. There is a hollow in the underside of the roundel, 0.10m in diameter and 0.05m deep, which was presumably the mortise for a tenoned shaft, making this a two-piece cross. The domed roundel on face A is carved with a cruciform interlace design, and the arm with diagonal key pattern. The central area of face C is carved with a roundel of eight spiral bosses surrounding a larger boss, while the arm contains six spiral bosses of varying sizes.

Date range: eighth century.

Primary references: Warden 1882, 214; Stevenson 1959, 10-11.

Desk-based information compiled by A Ritchie 2017.

Activities

Field Visit (14 July 1958)

A cross/head is preserved within the cemetery gate-house.

Visited by OS(JLD) 14 July 1958.

Reference (1961)

NO56NE 7.04

In 1952 one arm of a free-standing cross of Early Christian date was found in the burial-ground.

R B K Stevenson 1961

Note (1983)

Edzell Old Burial-ground NO 582 687 NO56NE 7

In 1952 one arm of a free-standing cross of Early Christian date (now in Edzell Church; NO 598 692) was discovered in Edzell old burial-ground.

RCAHMS 1983

(Eeles 1910, 358-60; Reid 1915, 296-7; Stevenson 1959, 42-3; Coutts 1970, 58, no. 13).

Reference (1988)

The 9th century fragments of a free-standing cross found here was moved to Edzell Castle in 1984.

N Atkinson 1988.

References

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