History in Structure

Wall, to West of Priory Church Nave, Incorporating Medieval Cross and Lintel

A Grade I Listed Building in St Bees, Cumbria

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Coordinates

Latitude: 54.4938 / 54°29'37"N

Longitude: -3.5939 / 3°35'38"W

OS Eastings: 296856

OS Northings: 512108

OS Grid: NX968121

Mapcode National: GBR 3JBG.QW

Mapcode Global: WH5ZF.R9SV

Plus Code: 9C6RFCV4+GC

Entry Name: Wall, to West of Priory Church Nave, Incorporating Medieval Cross and Lintel

Listing Date: 9 March 1967

Last Amended: 9 August 1984

Grade: I

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1137319

English Heritage Legacy ID: 76166

Also known as: Church of St Mary and St Bega

ID on this website: 101137319

Location: The Priory Church of St Mary and St Bega, St Bees, Cumberland, Cumbria, CA27

County: Cumbria

District: Copeland

Civil Parish: St. Bees

Built-Up Area: St Bees

Traditional County: Cumberland

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Cumbria

Church of England Parish: St Bees

Church of England Diocese: Carlisle

Tagged with: Church building Norman architecture Priory

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Description


NX 91 SE (INSET) ST BEES B5345 (West side)
St Bees

8/68 Wall, to west of
Priory Church nave,
incorporating

9.3.67 medieval cross &
lintel
(formerly listed as part
of Priory Church of
St Mary and St Bega

G.V. I Priory Church of

St Bega)
Wall; C19 incorporating medieval fragments. Snecked rubble c7 ft high; flat
coping. Full-height semicircular niche to centre with monolithic stone
wheel-head cross c3 ft high of (early?) medieval date, probably removed to
present position from Chapel How, c1 mile to north-east of St Bees on B5345
where it served as resting (or corpse) cross. Lintel spanning niche placed
there in 1868 following its discovery embedded in late C12 south aisle wall.
Various sources give dates from C10 to C12; shape and decoration suggest
Irish/Norse influence and possible pre-Conquest date. Single stone with
triangular upper surface. Interlace and knots to either side of central scene
showing wyvern (no hind legs and 2nd, smaller head to end of tail) with head
turned over shoulder, confronting warrior armed with sword, shield, and conical
helm; said to depict St George, or St Michael (latter proposed as it was once
thought to have come from St Michael's chapel, Rottington although little is
known of this site), but the scene may be from Norse mythology rather than
Christian.


Listing NGR: NX9685612108

External Links

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