<< Our Photo Pages >> Gosforth Cross - Ancient Cross in England in Cumbria
Submitted by Thorgrim on Sunday, 28 March 2004 Page Views: 43682
Early Medieval (Dark Age)Site Name: Gosforth CrossCountry: England County: Cumbria Type: Ancient Cross
Nearest Town: Whitehaven Nearest Village: Gosforth
Map Ref: NY07230357 Landranger Map Number: 89
Latitude: 54.419077N Longitude: 3.431176W
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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Anne T visited on 24th Oct 2014 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5 The Gosforth Cross and Hogbacks, Gosforth, Cumbria: This was a busy, busy little village. By this time, it was 3pm and I was more than ready for a cup of tea, but the cafe above the village store was closing. Away from the main car park for the village, we struggled to park, but in the end managed to get a spot outside the eastern end of the churchyard, where a delivery van had just pulled away.
What a delightful little church, where we were given a very warm welcome.
Rather than walk up to the lych gate, I opened the lower gate into the churchyard, where we were almost immediately greeted by some iron railings round a very unusual tree. We walked over the grass to the Gosforth Cross, and as I was taking photographs, we were greeted by a very jolly gentleman who told us he’d seen us come in through the bottom of the churchyard, and asked if we’d spotted the railings. “As far as we know, this is the most northerly growing cork tree.” He then proceeded to take us into the church and showed us where the Fishing Stone was, together with the light switches to see the other stones and hogback tombstones.
There was a very busy group of ladies who were cleaning the church from top to bottom, using the space between the hogback tombstones to hide their handbags (I gingerly moved them and replaced them to get my photographs.
I picked up a leaflet in the church about the grave covers and was taking (yet more) photographs in the porch. A gentleman with a sweeping brush came out to clear the leaves away and told us about the Grade 1 listed building at north east corner of church yard built out of grave stones, so we went to look. Fascinating! I’m glad I didn’t miss this feature.
nicoladidsbury visited on 8th Feb 2014 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5 Escaping from the horrendous weather during a weekend in Wasdale, we took shelter in the Church and played with side lighting to perfect the pictures of the Hogbacks and the Fisher Stone. This is such a marvellous place, so full of ancient Viking carvings. It never fails to stir me, to make me think about the ancestors of Cumbria.
One stone is called the Warrior Stone, and shows two Viking armies on one side, and the serpents on the other. The ends are possibly bears, and the roof may depict shingles. the other hogback is the Saints Stone, this one has a image of Jesus on the cross at the ends, and some fantstic carvings on the sides. The style is very reminisent of the Cross at Adlington, Penrith and Dacre.
AngieLake coin have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4 Ambience: 4 Access: 5
Probably the finest Anglo-Scandinavian carving in the north of England, this red sandstone cross has stood for over a thousand years in the churchyard at Gosforth.
Depicting Pagan scenes of Odin, Thor and Loki as well as of Christ crucified, the mixed symbolism is intriguing. Inside the church are fine Viking hog-back tombstones including one showing the famous scene of Thor fishing for the Midgard Serpent. Gosforth in Cumbria is 12 miles from Whitehaven at map ref: NY 072036.
For more information see Pastscape Monument No. 1583060 which adds: "The whole patterning of the cross shows an original mind at work exploiting links and contrasts between Scandinavian mythology and Christianity, and reflects a radical theological approach which would otherwise never have been suspected in Viking-age Cumbria." This cross is also scheduled as Historic England List ID 1012643.
The Journal of Antiquities also features an entry for The Gosforth Cross, Cumbria, which includes a description, a drawing of the cross and a photograph, together with a list of reference sources for further information.
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