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<< Our Photo Pages >> St Michael and All Angels (Isel) - Ancient Cross in England in Cumbria

Submitted by Sunny100 on Sunday, 17 April 2011  Page Views: 6576

Early Medieval (Dark Age)Site Name: St Michael and All Angels (Isel) Alternative Name: Triskele Stone
Country: England County: Cumbria Type: Ancient Cross
Nearest Town: Cockermouth  Nearest Village: Blindcrake / Isel
Map Ref: NY1624133312
Latitude: 54.687860N  Longitude: 3.300829W
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.
 3 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 24th Jul 2022 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 St Michael and All Angels, Isel/Blindcrake: We had first visited the Grade II listed medieval well in Blindcrake at NY 1486 3482, which has a domed well head very similar to the holy well at Brompton. This is a very, very pretty location for a church, and the inside did not disappoint. There are two fragments of the same cross shaft displayed immediately opposite as you walk in through the south porch, a couple of fragments built into the walls, and four sun-dials. We went armed with Guy Points's Cumbria Gazetteer, and found all the stones he mentioned.

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Sunny100 : The 9th-10th century 'Triskele Stone' in St Michael's church, Iselgate, Cumbria. This three armed Norse carving could well represent The Holy Trinity. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Ancient Cross in Cumbria

St Michael and All Angels' Church, beside the River Derwent, at Iselgate, 1 mile south-east of the tiny hamlet of Isel used to house the famous 'Triskele Stone' but sadly it was stolen. However, there are still two fragments of an Anglo-Norse cross.

The Triskele Stone had Norse carvings of a three-legged (or three-armed) symbol representing the god Thor, as well as a sun-snake, spiral and a swastika (or fylfot - Thor's hammer). Very sadly the 9th-10th century stone was stolen from its niche in the church in 1986, and today only a photograph remains.

But, to compensate for this loss there are two large fragments of an Anglo-Saxon cross-shaft which has Anglo-Danish design work carved upon it. These fragments were discovered when the church was being restored in 1878.

[Update July 2022: This 12th century church is recorded as Historic England List ID 1145219. There are several other fragments built into the nave and chancel walls, plus four sun-dials.

The wording of the notice above the two cross-shaft pieces reads: "Cross-Shaft Fragments. These two large stone fragments, which weight approximately 140lbs and 115lbs, were recovered from Isel Churchyard at the time of the last major restoration of Isel Church in 1878. The slightly smaller stone on the right, is known at one time to have been built into the West wall of the church entrance porch. Although the two stones are not adjacent pieces, they are parts from the same Anglo-Saxon cross-shaft dated circa 900AD. The medium-grained, white/yellow sandstone (Carboniferous) sections, are described on record as being good examples from the West Cumbrian 'spiral scroll school no. 7'. Both clearly show incised spirals on their faces and thick, discontinuous plait work on their edges. The right-hand stone has a smooth surface on the reverse side and on one of its edges. The spirals and plait work on this stone are thought to have been cleaned off at some time after the cross was broken, but the relevant dimensions of the two stones are the same, which may suggest otherwise. Look closely at the bottom centre face of the stone on the left and you will see a downward pointing arrowhead, which is the sacred emblem of Woden."
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St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : This fragment of baluster shaft and medieval cross slab can be found on the western wall inside the south porch. (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : The lower of the three sundials built into the western jamb of the middle window on the (external) south side of the chancel. It is recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture as Isel 06, and dated as being 'pre-Conquest'. It is not recorded in Points's Cumbria Gazetteer, as he does not consider it to be Anglo Saxon or Anglo Scandinavian. The notice in the south porch tells us: "A... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : The middle of the three sundials incorporated into the western jamb of the middle window on the (external) south side of the chancel. Not recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture, or in Guy Points's Cumbria Gazetteer, the sign in the south porch reads: "The periods shown on this dial represent the revised times for educational instruction when the chancel was brought into use f... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : Close up of the sundial at the top of the western jamb of the middle window on the south side of the chancel. It is recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture as Isel 05, 'presumed to be of pre-Conquest date'. The sign in the south porch reads: "The purpose of this dial in not known. It could not have been a sundial since a dial on 24 equal divisions is effective only at the no... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : Sundial now incorporated into the eastern jamb of the door into the church (southern side - inside porch). The notice on the noticeboard inside the porch tells us: "This dial was in use until the porch was constructed in the 15th century after which the three dials were made [incorporated into?] the left hand jamb of the south window of the chancel [outside'] ... until the dial became redundant th... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : The three sundials incorporated into the western jamb of the middle window on the south side of the chancel (outside) (Top two stones, then the bottom one). [More details to follow]

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : Sign on the noticeboard on the inside west wall of the south porch which explains about the four sun-dials incorporated into the fabric of the church.

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : This fragment of stonework is built into the south wall of the nave, next to the chancel arch, adjacent to the pulpit. It is not recorded on either the Corpus or in Guy Points's Cumbria Gazetter. With only vague impressions of carving, it may well be part of the original 12th century fabric of the church which has been preserved.

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : Recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture as Isel 03, this fragment is built into the north wall of the chancel, inside. It is dated to the 8th or 9th century and is part of a slab or grave cover. Also described by Guy Points in his Cumbria Gazetteer, he tells us "It has been incorporated into the north wall of the chancel adjacent to its junction with the east wall of the nave...

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : The right hand fragment of cross-shaft, displayed immediately opposite the south door into the church. Also recorded as AS Corpus Isel 02a-b. Guy Points's Cumbria Gazetteer, p126, adds: "It is the right hand (east) section of stonework. It measures 18ins / 45cms high, tapering 15ins / 38cms (top - it is upside down) to 14.75ins / 37cms (bottom) wide, up to 6.25ins / 15cms deep."

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : The left hand fragment of cross-shaft, displayed immediately opposite the south door into the church. Recorded as AS Corpus Isel 02a-b. Guy Points' Cumbria Gazetteer tells us: "It is the left-hand (west) section of stonework. It measures 18.5ins/46cms high, tapering 15.75ins/40cms (top - it is upside down) to 15.5ins / 39cms (bottom) wide, by 6.25ins / 15cms deep .... in the centre of the bottom...

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : The left hand vertical/narrow side of the cross fragment on the right hand side of the display. Also recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture as Isel 02a-b.

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : The right hand vertical side of the left hand panel from the cross-shaft, which, according to Guy Points' Cumbria Gazetteer, page 126, tells us: "the two other sides are decorated with a band of flat moulding forming an incomplete panel containing stopped plait-work design". Both the left and right hand fragments are recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture, Isel 02a-b, which dates t...

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : Two sections of cross shaft, found during the restoration of the church in 1878. They are said to be from the same cross-shaft, but are non-adjacent fragments. Made from medium-grained yellow sandstone, they are "a good example of the West Cumbrian 'spiral scroll school no. 7' with incised spirals and thick discontinuous plait work" (Bailey and Cramp, AS Stone Sculpture in Cumberland and Westmo...

St Michael and All Angels (Isel)
St Michael and All Angels (Isel) submitted by Anne T : A photograph of the photograph of the Triskele Stone, found on the central window cill on the south side of the chancel. Stolen in 1986, this is all that remains.

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"St Michael and All Angels (Isel)" | Login/Create an Account | 3 News and Comments
  
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Re: St Michael and All Angels (Isel) by Anne T on Sunday, 31 July 2022
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According to the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture, there is a sixth Anglo-Saxon stone built into the fabric of St Michael and All Angels. This is recorded as Isel 04, which simply says: "Acting as quoin stone in north-east corner of east gable of church, outside ... First recorded in present position in 1923 (Collingwood, 1924b, p254) ... This fragment could not be identified during examination of the fabric in 1960, 1974 or 1982. Mrs J Ward reported that it was again visible after repairs in 1984. Its worn ornament is described as including a flat boss. No further details were available ...".
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Re: St Michael and All Angels (Isel) by Anne T on Tuesday, 26 July 2022
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For anyone interested in the Triskele Stone, it is recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture as Isel 01. The Corpus notes: "Found (allegegly) among building material from bridge, near church, demolished in mid ninteenth century (Calverley 1888a, p29)." The Corpus contains 6 photographs of the actual stone, all faces, taken by Tom Middlemass.

They describe the stone as: "Upper section of the squarish shaft of a composite cross whose lost head was dowelled into the mortise hole on the top of the fragment (face E). Two panels are visible on all faces, each surrounded by a roll moulding. Another roll moulding surrounded the lip of the mortise hole itself. There is a second hole in the base of the fragment (face F).
Face A (broad): Triskele [three legged symbol] with pellets in the upper panel and (probably) a recumbent S motif in the panel below;
Face B (narrow): Swastika, executed in stopped-plait, in the upper panel and a recumbent S-motif in the panel below;
Face C (broad): Triskele with limbs curved in the same direction (unlike face A) in the upper panel and unidentifiable relief carving in the panel below;
Face D (narrow): Upper panel contains a four-limbed motif, whilst the lower contains ornament relief of unidentifiable type".

Dated to the tenth to eleventh century.
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Re: St Michael and All Angels (Iselgate) by Anonymous on Friday, 01 September 2017
Photo of Triskele stone inside Church in video and a possible explanation for the origin of the name Isel https://youtu.be/LKlJjwI4g4U
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