Monument record MDO141 - Cross and Hand, Batcombe
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Summary
On the north side of the road is a monolithic, crudely tapered oval shaft with a necking and capital of cushion form; it stands 3½ ft. out of the ground and the capital is 11 in. square. The hand said to have been carved on one face is not traceable.
Map
Type and Period (1)
Full Description
A monolithic crudely-tapered oval shaft with a necking and capital of cushion form. It stands 3 1/2 feet out of the ground and the capital is 11 inches square. It is possible it belongs to the group of pre-Conquest shafts of which the pillar of Eliseg (SJ 24 SW 1, said to be 6th century) is the best known. If so then the capital must have been cut down. The hand said to have been carved on one face is not traceable. <2>
The shaft is as described and measured by the RCHM. The traditional name "Cross and Hand" is still applied to it locally. Correctly positioned on 1:2500. <3>
So few diagnostic features remain that it is not possible to tell the function or date. This may have been a marker stone in the Romano-British tradition, such as the monolithic shafts at Wareham of the Roman period with British inscriptions. <4>
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> SDO97 Monograph: Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England. 1952. An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West). 17.
- <2> SWX1540 Map: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey Map 6in. 6 inch to 1 mile. 1962.
- <3> SDO14743 Unpublished document: Attrill, N J. Field Investigators Comments NJA. F1 NJA 28-SEP-76.
- <4> SDO17427 Monograph: Cramp, R. 2006. Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture: Vol VII. South-West England. 128.
- <5> SDO14739 Digital archive: National Record of the Historic Environment. 199154.
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (0)
Location
| Grid reference | ST 6318 0378 (point) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ST60SW |
| Civil Parish | Batcombe; Dorset |
| Unitary Authority | Dorset |
Protected Status/Designation
Other Statuses/References
- Legacy UID: Dorset Sites and Monuments Record: 1 006 002
- Legacy UID: National Monuments Record: ST 60 SW 8
- Legacy UID: National Record of the Historic Environment: 199154
Record last edited
Dec 23 2021 10:34AM