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Inscribed Across the Landscape: The Cursus Monuments of Great Britain

Inscribed Across the Landscape: The Cursus Monuments of Great Britain

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<< Our Photo Pages >> St Andrew's Church (Bolam) - Ancient Cross in England in Northumberland

Submitted by Anne T on Saturday, 13 October 2018  Page Views: 1841

Early Medieval (Dark Age)Site Name: St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
Country: England County: Northumberland Type: Ancient Cross
Nearest Town: Morpeth  Nearest Village: Bolam / Belsay
Map Ref: NZ0924482601
Latitude: 55.137685N  Longitude: 1.856538W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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Anne T visited on 11th Oct 2018 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5 St. Andrew's Church, Bolam: Hogback, Ancient Crosses and Sculptured Stones: It is almost four years to the day when I first visited this church (15th October 2014), but had only just started making contributions to the Portal and thought the cut-off date for any entries was 1,000AD. That visit took place on a beautiful sunny day with no wind; the church was peaceful and tranquil, and I sat and read the guide book, enjoying the atmosphere of ages. Today, the wind rattled the door with great frequency, and the wind whistled through the crack, making it sound like there was a cat howling outside. I was glad of company today! As well as the AS fragments in the church, a hogback and other grave markers built into the porch, there is also the remains of a cross and cross base. This is the church where a German bomb came through the south wall but did not explore. The pilot later visited the church to apologise and arranged for a window to be inserted into the east wall of the south aisle – an angel holding a candle. The information sheet ‘Earth’ says “the oldest part of the church is the Saxon tower, and you can find traces of a sundial inside the porch.” We spent ages looking for this, but couldn’t find it. The saltire marked stones on either side of the chancel arch were fascinating, as was the arch between the nave and the chancel. Above the south door, in the porch, are the remains of two triangular inscribed grave slabs (mentioned in the architectural assessment).

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : This is AS Corpus Bolam 01, an eleventh century round-headed grave marker measuring 78.8cms high, 40cms wide and 13cms deep. It is propped against the south wall of the tower, inside. The horizontal arms of the cross touch the edges of the stone. Found in 1884 when the church was refurbished. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Ancient Cross in Northumberland

There is an archaeological assessment available for this stunning little church; originally carried out in 2000, by Peter Ryder, Historic Buildings Consultant, it was updated in September 2015. See The Diocese of Newcastle assessment for the Church of St Andrew, Bolam.

There are three sculptured stones recorded by the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture in the church. Two can be found against the south wall of the tower, the other is in two pieces, high up in the west and east wall of the south porch. In addition, there are interesting fragments left of the old sanctuary arch and the remains of an old cross in the churchyard.

This church is perhaps more famous for the bomb which came through the south wall of the church during WWII, but did not explode. After the war, the pilot came to the church to apologise, and commissioned a stained glass window of an angel holding a candle, to be seen in the east wall of the south chapel.

The church is recorded as Pastscape Monument No. 21068 and Historic England List ID 1304102. The carved stones are recorded as:

Bolam 01 (eleventh century grave marker);
Bolam 02 (eleventh century graver cover); and
Bolam 03 (eleventh century Saxon-Norman impost in two pieces).

The remains of the cross are scheduled as Historic England List ID 1042815, but there is no mention on Pastscape or the Corpus.
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St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : This fragment of hogback is to be found high up on the east wall of the south porch. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : I only found Peter Ryder's document about grave slabs in Northumberland when I got home, and we had not looked for this one. This slab, with worn cross head enclosed in a circle and with a possible sword on the right of the cross shaft, is recorded as Ryder Bolam 12. I found it by enlarging a photograph of the east wall of the south east chapel and looking closely. The stone is just above the m... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : This late eleventh or early twelfth century slab can be found in the upper west wall of the porch, at its southern end. The design is described by Ryder as 'Early Geometric' and the design matches that of the nine stones in the remains of the old sanctuary arch. Recorded as Ryder Bolam 10. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : This probably twelfth century slab can be found in the internal face of the east wall of the south porch. It has a cross made up of four broken circles with fleur de lys terminals between, with shears on the left of the cross shaft. Recorded as Ryder Bolam 09. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : This slab, incorporated into the south wall, just to the east of the organ, is recorded as Ryder Bolam 07. Dated, by its style, to the the late eleventh or early twelfth century, it can be found just below the window where the WWII bomb entered the church but did not explode. Its broad-shafted cross has slightly splayed arms. With a heavy pew just in front of it, it was a challenge to photograph! (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : This portion of slab, of uncertain date, has been cemented into the floor at the south end of the south chapel. It has been crudely joined with cement to Ryder Bolam 03, with inaccurate lines in the cement as if to complete the design. It is different from the other slabs here, as it has three 'crescents of Ogle', usually included in the arms of old English knights.

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : This grave slab, with the cross head formed from a straight armed cross with each arm dividing into a 'y' as it meets the outer ring, is dated to 'perhaps thirteenth century'. It is located in the south end of the south chapel, just to the left of Ryder Bolam 01 and 02, and just to the right of the effigy with the missing legs. It has been cemented into the floor as if to form a 'whole' with Ryde...

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : These two grave slabs are located at the south eastern end of the south east chapel (find the effigy with the missing legs and look to your right). These are described by Ryder as Bolam 01 and 02, and dated to the twelfth century and c1300 respectively.

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : Standing just north west of the remains of this cross base and part-shaft, looking towards the southern wall of the churchyard.

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : Part two of AS Corpus Bolam 03, to be found high up on the east and west walls of the south porch. Dating to the second half of the eleventh century, these form a chamfered impost or frieze.

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : Part one of AS Corpus Bolam 03, to be found high up on the east and west walls of the south porch. Dating to the second half of the eleventh century, these form a chamfered impost or frieze.

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : AS Corpus Bolam 02, an eleventh century grave cover, propped against the south wall of the tower, inside. It measures 144.8cms high, 41.3cms wide and 16.5cms deep. It was found when the church was refurbished in 1884. It has double-incised lines which divides close set incisions, terminating in a double saltire design. The edging has been chamfered away, and at the base are a number of deep sla... (1 comment)

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : AS Corpus Bolam 01 (right) and 02, both propped against the south wall of the tower, inside. Both date from the eleventh century.

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : The archaeological assessment (p9 & 10) mentions the jambs of the former Sanctuary arch are still intact. On the southern side there are four stones with incised lozenge patterns, typical of the late 11th and early 12th century (early Geometric style).

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : The archaeological assessment (p9 & 10) mentions the jambs of the former Sanctuary arch are still intact. On the northern side there are five stones with incised lozenge patterns, typical of the late 11th and early 12th century (early Geometric style).

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : One of the fragments of old grave slab above the south door in the porch. Whilst not very old, it was an interesting (and creative?) addition to the building.

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : Standing just east of the remains of this cross, looking to the Old Rectory next door. Funny this cross is only recorded on Historic England.

St Andrew's Church (Bolam)
St Andrew's Church (Bolam) submitted by Anne T : The remains of the medieval, sandstone cross with 3ft of its chamfered shaft remaining. This photo shows the location of the cross, some 15 yards south of the nave.

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"St Andrew's Church (Bolam)" | Login/Create an Account | 1 comment
  
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Re: St Andrew's Church (Bolam) by Anne T on Saturday, 13 October 2018
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Inside the church were a number of really interesting grave slabs, a couple similar to the ones at Newbiggin. I've got hold of Antiquarian reference material and also a paper by Peter Ryder, Historic Buildings Consultant which gives information about these. As with the grave slabs at Kilmartin Churchyard and Newbiggin, I've added some photos with information about them, but if you want these deleting, let me know!
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