Reasons for Designation
Wayside crosses are one of several types of Christian cross erected during the
medieval period, mostly from the 9th to 15th centuries AD. In addition to
serving the function of reiterating and reinforcing the Christian faith
amongst those who passed the cross and of reassuring the traveller, wayside
crosses often fulfilled a role as waymarkers, especially in difficult and
otherwise unmarked terrain. The crosses might be on regularly used routes
linking ordinary settlements or on routes having a more specifically religious
function, including those providing access to religious sites for parishioners
and funeral processions, or marking long-distance routes frequented on
pilgrimages.
Over 350 wayside crosses are known nationally, concentrated in south west
England throughout Cornwall and on Dartmoor where they form the commonest type
of stone cross. A small group also occurs on the North York Moors. Relatively
few examples have been recorded elsewhere and these are generally confined to
remote moorland locations.
Outside Cornwall almost all wayside crosses take the form of a `Latin' cross,
in which the cross-head itself is shaped within the projecting arms of an
unenclosed cross. In Cornwall wayside crosses vary considerably in form and
decoration. The commonest type includes a round, or `wheel', head on the faces
of which various forms of cross or related designs were carved in relief or
incised, the spaces between the cross arms possibly pierced. The design was
sometimes supplemented with a relief figure of Christ and the shaft might bear
decorative panels and motifs. Less common forms in Cornwall include the
`Latin' cross and, much rarer, the simple slab with a low relief cross on both
faces. Rare examples of wheel-head and slab-form crosses also occur within the
North York Moors group. Most wayside crosses have either a simple socketed
base or show no evidence for a separate base at all.
Wayside crosses contribute significantly to our understanding of medieval
religious customs and sculptural traditions and to our knowledge of medieval
routeways and settlement patterns. All wayside crosses which survive as earth-
fast monuments, except those which are extremely damaged and removed from
their original locations, are considered worthy of protection.
The medieval wayside cross, 410m north east of Tregrylls, survives well, and
is a good example of the uncommon `Latin' form of cross. Although it has been
moved it probably marks its original route, the church path from Tregrylls to
Lesnewth church. Its reuse as a gatepost and its re-erection on the church
path demonstrate well the changing attitudes to religion and their impact on
the local landscape since the medieval period. The cross maintains its
original function as a waymarker on this church path, fulfilling one of the
major roles of such wayside crosses.
Details
The monument includes a medieval wayside cross, known as the Tregrylls Cross,
situated beside a footpath from Tregrylls to Lesnewth.
The Tregrylls Cross survives as an upright granite head and shaft mounted on a
modern granite base. The overall height of the monument is 1.46m. The head has
unenclosed arms, a form called a `Latin' cross, its principal faces orientated
north-south. The head measures 0.5m across the side arms, the western of which
has been fractured at some time in the past. Both principal faces bear a
relief Latin cross which extends down onto the shaft. The shaft measures 0.38m
wide and is 0.21m thick. There is an iron hinge attached to the shaft on the
north face, from its former reuse as a gatepost. The shaft is mounted in a
modern granite base which is roughly triangular in shape. The base measures
1.43m north-south by 1.62m east-west and is 0.11m high.
This cross was found in 1988 in use as a gatepost and buried head down in the
ground beside the footpath to the north east of Tregrylls, which runs between
Tregrylls and Lesnewth church. In 1991 the cross was re-erected close to where
it was found. In 1997 the cross was moved approximately 70m north of its
previous site, further along this footpath and erected on a new base stone.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.
