Stapleford churchyard cross – A socket stone and possibly a fragment of shaft (Photo: Richard Croft)
Parish/DistrictStapleford/North Kesteven
Locationin the churchyard of All Saints Church, c.10m south of the nave
CategoryChurchyard cross
National Grid RefSK 88621 57582
DesignationScheduled / Listed II
Stone TypeLimestone
RefsAP Survey 15 Dec 1993; Davies, D S, 1913, Lincs N & Q, Vol XII No.5, p.148
VisitsAP: 15 Dec 1993 | DS/HH: 5 July 2011

There is a churchyard cross about 10m south of the nave of All Saints church in Stapleford. The cross comprises a socket stone with a possible fragment of shaft (or possibly not) in the socket.

The socket stone is c.0.76m square with about 0.32m above ground. The corners are carved into large knobs and chamfered so that the top is octagonal. The rectangular socket (0.43 N-S by 0.22m E-W) is set centrally.

There are the remains of a shaft set in the socket – it is either very damaged, or it may just be a random fragment placed in the socket hole at a later date. The shaft does not fill the socket on the north side and  has maximum dimensions of 0.38m x 0.17m and a height of  0.25m.

There is a deep vertical cut (c.70mm deep) about half way along the south side of the socket stone  – it looks like a machine cut or saw cut – No reason evident, and not mentioned by Davies.

Stapleford cross – it is unclear if the stone in the socket is actually a fragment of the shaft, or a later substitution
Stapleford churchyard cross – detail of the socket stone showing moulded corners and the cut on the south side of the stone.
Stapleford

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