Parish/District | Benniworth/East Lindsey |
Location | c.10m south of tower of St Julian’s church |
Category | Churchyard cross |
National Grid Ref | TF 20938 81767 |
Designation | Scheduled / Listed II |
Stone Type | Limestone |
Refs | AP Survey 10 Mar 1994; Davies, D S, 1915, Lincs N & Q Vol XIII No.5, p.133 |
Visits | AP: 10 Mar 1994 | DS/HH: NV | DS: 31 Aug 2024 |
The churchyard cross at Benniworth stands alone in a completely cleared area of the graveyard, 10m south of the tower – it is an almost surreal setting.
The socket stone is massive but has a horizontal fault two-thirds up, that makes it look like two stones – indeed, Davies took it be so, but the unevenness of the joint confirms it is one stone with a major fault – the crack has been repaired with mortar in some places, which has dropped out in others.
The corners of the socket stone are carved into large ‘knobs’ with a deep chamfer along the sides between them. The east corner is in best condition, but the west corner is badly damaged, the stone spalled away revealing the bottom of the shaft in its lead-lined socket.
The socket stone is c. 0.9m x 0.9m square with a maximum height (E corner) of 0.6m. There are crude shallow carvings on the sides of the socket stone which appear to be quatrefoils set in incised square panels.
The shaft is central and is set in lead which can be clearly seen on the west corner where the top of the socket is broken away. It is square stopped to octagonal. At its base the shaft is 0.26m x 0.26m – it tapers slightly and is 0.24m x 0.24m at the top . It is 0.77m high and the top is flat with no fixings.
On a map of the churchyard inside the porch, the cross is shown as ‘Saxon cross’.