Socket stone in churchyard of St Andrews at Kirkby cum Osgodby
Parish/DistrictOsgodby/West Lindsey
Locationon a raised area, c.20m south of St Andrew’s church
CategoryChurchyard cross
National Grid RefTF 06334 92765
DesignationScheduled / Listed II
Stone TypeLimestone
RefsAP survey, 4 Aug 1997; Davies, D S. 1915, Lincs N & Q, vol XIII, No.5, p.157
VisitsAP: 4 Aug 1997 | DS/DAS: 10 April 2015

In St Andrew’s churchyard there is a socket stone, now well hidden away under the canopy of a great yew tree by the south door of the church. It was covered in ivy on our visit, which we cleared away for examination of stone.

The socket stone is calcareous cretaceous limestone (Tealby limestone type). It measures 0.77m E-W by 0.79m N-S and is part buried with 0.2m above ground – when probed, there seemed to be a base below the stone which would make it c.0.4m deep. This base extended out some 0.15m each way.

The socket measured 0.32 x 0.33m and was full of soil. Probed depth was c.0.15m deep.

The stone was quite badly eroded with two areas of damage – they may be differential erosion. It was located c. 20m south of the centre of the south wall of the church and about 5m from the south door pathway. It was not orthogonal with the church. It is quite likely to be in its original position (i.e. if it has a buried base).

Osgodby socket stone after a bit of ivy clearance
Kirkby cum Osgodby

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