<< Our Photo Pages >> Holy Trinity (Rolleston) - Ancient Cross in England in Nottinghamshire

Submitted by Anne T on Tuesday, 21 May 2019  Page Views: 4756

Early Medieval (Dark Age)Site Name: Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Country: England
NOTE: This site is 2.825 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Nottinghamshire Type: Ancient Cross
Nearest Town: Newark  Nearest Village: Rolleston
Map Ref: SK7418552503
Latitude: 53.064630N  Longitude: 0.894394W
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.
 4 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 10th May 2019 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Cross Shaft Fragments and Cross Slabs, Holy Trinity, Rolleston: By the time we’d photographed the sundial in the churchyard then walked up to the village cross, the church had been opened (thankfully) and we let ourselves in. The cross shaft was immediately opposite the south door into the church, although in a really difficult position to photograph (between a heavy wooden desk with information leaflets and a fire extinguisher). The most ornate section of the cross was to its western side, so after Andrew had moved the chairs, I virtually had to squeeze myself in next to the desk and squat down as best I could to capture the carvings – not the most elegant of positions! It wasn’t until after I had photographed the cross and was making my way towards the fragments in the eastern wall of the northern aisle that I realised the chairs in the church had been set up in a labyrinth pattern. We did have to move some of the chairs to access several parts of the church, but made sure we put the chairs back exactly where we found them. Thank goodness I had my printouts with Peter Ryder’s drawings and descriptions, as we would have missed a lot here! We’d spotted one or two of the most obvious carved stones built into the external fabric. However, now knowing how much was on the external walls, we went round the outside again and spotted so much more.

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : The western side of the top-most block of the three making up the remains of this stone cross. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Holy Trinity Church in Rolleston, near Newark is described as "a large and interesting multi-period church with its origins perhaps in the late 11th century; it has one of the largest collections of cross slabs and slab fragments in Nottinghamshire".

The church is listed as Historic England List ID 1045559 and Pastscape Monument No. 894629. The Southwell and Nottingham Church History Project tells us there "is little evidence of the original edifice except the herring-bone masonry in the north wall of the nave …. in this case the herring-bone is probably of early Norman or pre-Conquest date". Pastscape tells us the building is largely 12th to 14th century, heavily restored in 1878 and 1889. More information can be found at Rolleston Holy Trinity: History.

Displayed against the north wall of the nave, immediately opposite the door from the south porch into the church, are three fragments of an Anglo Saxon Cross. Originally there were four fragments, the fourth built into the wall above the other three fragments. This fragment bore an inscription:

R A d V L F
V S m e F e
Radulfus me fe (Radulf made me).

Unfortunately, this fragment decayed badly and was eventually plastered over. The style of the lettering "indicate(d) a date not much before the Conquest i.e. AD 1050-1150". However, drawings and images of the fragments exist from 1916. See Holy Trinity Rolleston: Archaeology and Pastscape Monument No. 322472 for more information. The first link given here also includes Peter Ryder's drawings and descriptions of the early Medieval cross slabs built into the fabric of the church. [It is my understanding that some of these date to the 12th century, although I am currently trying to obtain more definite dates for each cross slab fragment.]

Also in the churchyard can be found a 17th century inscribed sundial, recorded as Historic England List ID 1302264.

The church is open daily, between approximately 9.30am and 5.00pm.

Page originally by TimPrevett
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Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : Ryder Rolleston 16, which may form part of the same slab with Ryder Rolleston 17 and 23. It is set into the internal face of the western wall of the porch, under the window. Ryder tells us there is not enough of these fragments to tell us if they form a cross. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This is Ryder Rolleston 11, a slab which has been reused as the internal lintel of a window at the west end of the north wall of the north aisle. "Incised design, cross botonee with large fleur de lys terminals and ball at top of shaft". (Vote or comment on this photo)

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This piece of sunken panel with intersecting arcs carved in relief is recorded as Ryder 17. It can be found in the external west wall of the porch. Ryder says that with pieces 16 and 23, it is "almost certainly part of the same stone; not enough is left to reconstruct the entire pattern. It is not quite clear if this is a cross slab". (Vote or comment on this photo)

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This is Ryder Rolleston 24, a fragment with a cross shaft in relief "with bar at top and beginnings of a crosshead with open panel at centre". It is located just above fragment Ryder Rolleston 23. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This is Ryder Rolleston 23, on the eastern side of the buttress to the east of the north door (outside). Ryder thinks it forms part of the same cross slab with fragments 16 and 17. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : Ryder Rolleston 15, a small stone which is set into the internal face of the eastern wall of the south porch, 1m above the bench. Ryder describes it as an "attractive but badly laid out bracelet derivative cross with sunk panel at centre".

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This is Ryder Rolleston 14, a slab which has been recut to form the internal lintel of the eastern "of the two windows in the north wall of the chancel. Re-tooled, tapering slab with traces of cross shaft only". Ryder suggests studying this in oblique lighting to bring out the design.

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This is Ryder Rolleston 5, which is set into the floor at the west end of the north aisle. "its head partly concealed by an old chest. Round-leaf bracelet cross in high relief, sunk panels in head centre and terminals, ball at top of shaft, three (?) pairs of leaves springing from the shaft …. decayed stepped base".

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This is Ryder Rolleston 2, lying just to the east of Ryder Rolleston 1. It is very worn. Ryder says: "(its proportions suggesting that it may have lost its base) with the merest vestiges of incised design, round leafed bracelet cross".

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This is Ryder Rolleston 1, which can be found in the centre of the floor of the south aisle. It has an "incised design, cross pate rising from stepped base, three lancet arches on each side".

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This is Ryder Rolleston 13, lying loose next to Ryder Rolleston 12 against the northern wall of the sanctuary. It shows a "high quality relief design of a cross botonee with fleur-de-lys terminals with a complex petalled rosette at its centre".

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This is Ryder Rolleston 12, the head of a cross slab lying loose against the northern wall of the sanctuary with Ryder Rolleston 13. It has an incised round leaf bracelet cross with sun panels at the centre of the cross head.

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This is Ryder's Rolleston 9, either part of a free-standing headstone or a gable finial. It is a fragment of an open round-leaf bracelet cross, now broken.

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This is Ryder's Rolleston 7, part of the display built into the interior eastern wall of the north aisle. It shows an incised cross shaft "rising from a semi-circular mount, on a stone cut to a segmental arched form, diagonal tooling".

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This fragment is recorded as Ryder's Rolleston 6, found as part of a display of several cross slab fragments and a couple of architectural fragments in the east wall of the north aisle, inside. It is "half of the head of an incised round-leaf bracelet cross, the indent of the mason's compass point still clear" (note: this point is towards the centre of the left hand 'circle' - it looks very slight...

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This is Ryder Rolleston 21, also in the eternal face of the east wall of the south aisle, almost 2m up from the ground and just to the north of Ryder Rolleston 20. It is a "cross pate head made up of four sunk lenticular panels".

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This is Ryder Rolleston 20, 2m from the ground on the external face of the east wall of the south aisle. It is part of the head of a round-leaf bracelet cross, incised but quite faint.

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This photograph shows fragments Ryder 20 and Ryder 21. In the external face of the east wall of the south aisle, 2m from the ground. See the close ups of the individual stones for descriptions.

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This piece of cross slab is recorded as Ryder 19, and can be found in the external face of the south aisle at is eastern end, 1.5m from the ground. It is a fragment of incised round-leaf bracelet cross.

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This herring-bone pattern masonry has been left visible in the north wall of the nave as it is a visible reminder of the original fabric of the building, thought to be of early Norman or pre-Conquest date.

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : The western side and the front of the Saxon cross shaft in three pieces. It was tricky to photograph the western, most ornate side of the cross, as the chairs within the church had been very cleverly set out as a labyrinth, and the stone was next to a very heavy table which was almost impossible to move.

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : The front, or southern side, of the cross displayed against the north wall of the nave. It confused me as to why they displayed one of the less ornate sides of the cross to the visitor, as this is the first side you see as you walk in through the south door into the church. The western side has by far the clearest carvings.

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : The whole of the eastern side of the stone cross. The re-cutting of the blocks to reuse them as a door jamb within the church is evident.

Holy Trinity (Rolleston)
Holy Trinity (Rolleston) submitted by Anne T : This fragment, with a worn but still visible, carving, was stored on top of the three blocks making up the stone cross. It was holding down the information sheets relating to the cross, but there was no explanation as to what it was, its age, or where it came from. It does not appear relate to any of Peter Ryder's medieval cross slabs. If anyone knows anything about this fragment, I'd be delighted...

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"Holy Trinity (Rolleston)" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Re: Holy Trinity (Rolleston) by bat400 on Sunday, 26 May 2019
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It appears that it is an arguable fact. Because, you know, I believe you're arguing about it ...
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Re: Holy Trinity (Rolleston) by Sunny100 on Friday, 24 May 2019
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Yes, I would think these carved fragments to be Medieval 12th to 14th century. They don't look to be earlier pre-Norman.
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Re: Holy Trinity (Rolleston) by Hatty on Friday, 24 May 2019
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Fragments of stone can't be dated, let alone classified as "Anglo-Saxon". The only available fact is the context, a church "12th to 14th century, heavily restored in 1878 and 1889".

'12th-14th century fragments' is the nearest to dating anyone can come up with though it is clear there's a deliberate fudging about the date of the church itself, "thought to be of early Norman or pre-Conquest date." It is Norman.
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    Re: Holy Trinity (Rolleston) by Anne T on Saturday, 25 May 2019
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    Hello again, Hatty. Another newsletter, and yet another comment from you on another of my contributions.

    As an interested amateur, I rely heavily on the experts - Historic England, Pastscape, Church and Local Historians, Archaeologists, the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture. From what I've learned over the years, carvings can be dated from their styles and the motifs they contain. Also, because church grounds are consecrated they tend to stay in the same place through the ages, from the introduction of Christianity to Britain through to the current day and probably have multiple uses.

    Rather than snipe at the contributors on the Portal, why do you not take up your arguments with the experts? Or is this too big?
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Holy Trinity (Rolleston) by Hatty on Saturday, 25 May 2019
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    Dating carvings according to their styles is hardly reliable. I'm surprised you appear to be so hostile to such an inarguable fact.

    I'm not interested in arguments that are merely quotes from links to other sites. The point about the Portal site is it's chocko with experts and informed enthusiasts whose views may or may not accord with the experts' but are generally worth listening to.
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