<< Our Photo Pages >> All Saints (Ilkley) - Ancient Cross in England in Yorkshire (West)
Submitted by TimPrevett on Saturday, 19 May 2007 Page Views: 10495
Early Medieval (Dark Age)Site Name: All Saints (Ilkley)Country: England County: Yorkshire (West) Type: Ancient Cross
Nearest Town: Ilkley
Map Ref: SE1164547825
Latitude: 53.926429N Longitude: 1.824152W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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I have visited· I would like to visit
Anne T visited on 17th Apr 2015 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5 Three Anglo Saxon Crosses, All Saints, Ilkley: On the way I telephoned All Saints in Ilkley to find out if they were open as some churches we've visited recently have been kept locked because of vandalism. A very nice lady in the Parish Office answered and told me the church was open until dusk and that we’d be very welcome to visit.
We found the church easily enough, being just out of the town centre. We parked in a nearby car park, just off West Street (grid reference: SE 11593 47690) which is central for the shops as well, and walked round to the church.
The three Anglo Saxon crosses are kept under the 15th century tower in the west end of the church. They are impressive, although cluttered up with other things being used by the church and such bright spot lights I had to use flash to counter-balance the light. The light also streamed in from the window in the west end making photography (for me) a little difficult. There are some good interpretation boards, and also three Roman altar stones displayed against the west wall.
The tallest cross is impressive, although the cross shaft and cross head are an amalgamation of two pieces; the cross-piece on top came from the River Wharfe where it was found in 1884. The top panel on the front of the cross (as it is displayed) “depicts Jesus seated in glory with a palm branch or pastoral staff in one hand and the other hand raised in blessing.” I confess to thinking at first that the palm branch was a set of ribs and I was looking at a skeleton! I was rapidly corrected.
The second tallest has the most beautiful carving; even though worn and damaged (it has in the past been used as a churchyard gatepost). It has cable edging and rounded scroll stems.
The smallest cross (to the left of the tallest cross as you face the west window) probably dates from the late eighth century.
The interpretation boards say that these crosses were probably grave markers although other sources say they are preaching crosses.
There were some other lovely features in the church – a box pew dating from Elizabethan times (dated 1633) and a font cover with an impressive counterweight.
After this we ended up at Betty’s for a much welcome pot of tea and toasted tea-cake with strawberry preserve - much recommended.
coin visited - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4
rldixon have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.5 Ambience: 4 Access: 4.5
Three Anglo Saxon Crosses within All Saints', Ilkley.
This church is scheduled as Historic England List ID 1133506 and is unusual because it is built on the site of a Roman fort. Two Roman altars were discovered in 1925 built into the tower. Three 8th crosses, formerly located in the churchyard, are now kept in the tower base, with these 2 former Roman altars and other fragments.
The cross shafts and head fragments are also recorded as Pastscape Monument No. 49952.
The Journal of Antiquities also includes an entry for these crosses - see their page for Ancient Crosses At Ilkley, which includes extracts from an article by A.W. Morant FSA, "Ancient Crosses at Ilkley" from the book "Stories & Tales Of Old Yorkshire", edited by William Smith, 1882-83, but understood to be reprinted by Printwise Publications, Tottington, Bury, Lancs, in 1993.
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