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Dyffryn Ardudwy

Stone Worlds: Narrative and Reflexivity in Landscape Archaeology

Stone Worlds: Narrative and Reflexivity in Landscape Archaeology

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<< Our Photo Pages >> St Oswald's Church (Dean) - Rock Art in England in Cumbria

Submitted by Anne T on Monday, 29 August 2022  Page Views: 3110

Early Medieval (Dark Age)Site Name: St Oswald's Church (Dean) Alternative Name: Dean Church (Cumbria)
Country: England
NOTE: This site is 0.4 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Cumbria Type: Rock Art
Nearest Town: Lilyhall  Nearest Village: Dean
Map Ref: NY0709725353
Latitude: 54.614752N  Longitude: 3.440096W
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 24th Jul 2022 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5 St Oswald's Church (Dean): Having left St Michael and All Angels at Isel, we visited the well in Eaglesfield and tried to find the Singing Well just outside Deanscales. The latter we could see over the hedge, but were unable to gain access to the field it sits in from the road. Parking by the lych gate of the church, walking along the southern side of the church, the preaching cross is easily visible, sitting on what looks like the base of a large market cross, with seven steps. The cross at the top is topped by a 'modern' (18th century) sundial. We spent some considerable time in the church with the notes provided, tracking and photographing the medieval grave slabs that were visible. Enjoyed this visit.

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by Anne T : The cup and ring stone stored in an arched recess on the south wall (internal) of the nave. The notes in the church tell us: "In front of the recess [now empty, no record of whose tomb it was] is an ancient "cup and ring" stone which was uncovered during ploughing in a field of an adjacent farm. The stone is believed to be several thousand years old, and has been granted sanctuary to protect it -... (Vote or comment on this photo)
Church in Cumbria containing a large cup and ring marked boulder, and medieval grave slabs, the latter being built into the fabric of the building. Just to the south of the nave is a preaching/churchyard cross. St Oswald's Church is largely C12 with C13 and C15 extensions and C17 alterations.

The churchyard cross location is NY 07097 25353, and it is Grade II listed. It is recorded separately as Historic England List ID 1326878, which dates the cross "to probably the 17th century", although the notes provided within the church say the steps are original and may date from the 12th century, consistent with the date the church was founded (or even possibly pre-dating it); "the truncated cross shaft is much later".

The church is Grade I listed Historic England List ID 1145164,

This cup and ring marked boulder is featured on The Northern Antiquarian (TNA) - see their page for Dean Church (Cumbria). TNA give directions for finding the church, together with a brief archaeology & history plus a 1992 drawing and image by Stan Beckensall.

Whilst on mentioning only that "further architectural discoveries were made in 1967, the church is described in Pastscape Monument No. 8856, mentioning that it might originally have been a vicar's pele.

There is no official church guide available for sale within the church, but several A4 typed, illustrated pages which give a detailed history of the church and the artefacts within.
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St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by Anne T : We've not seen a grave slab re-cut and used in this fashion before, so we were interested to find it and photograph it. Described in the church notes as: "(10) Brown sandstone slab re-used as the external head of the eastern of two windows on the north of the nave. Incised design (partly cut away by the arched heads of the two lights), straight-armed cross with fleur-de-lys terminals, and shears... (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by Anne T : The churchyard cross at St Oswald's, Dean. The notes inside the church say: "The Preaching Cross. In the churchyard to the south of the church is the lower part of a large octagonal 'preaching cross', with a six-stepped base and a hollow-chamfered plinth. The base and steps are original and may be twelfth century or earlier. The stem is of much later date. It is said that monks from Calder Abb... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by Anne T : The church contains some very interesting medieval grave slabs, most built into the fabric of the building - one outside, the majority inside. This stone is stood against the external south wall of the nave, and is described in the church notes as: "(9) Part of a slab of red-brown sandstone bearing what seems to be a cross shaft, carved in bold relief that divides into three short branches at the... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by Anne T : This is Dean 7, "Slab re-used as the internal lintel of the east window. Only about half its width is visible, and the decay of the stone, coupled with the awkward position of the slab, makes it difficult to interpret. Cross head with large late-type fleur-de-lis terminals, shield below, and base of some arched form. Border panel with traces of an inscription. Hughes (1968) states that a rubbi... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by Anne T : This is Dean 6, a "slab re-used as the internal lintel of the western window in the south wall of the chancel. Cross head again of the same type [as 3, 4 and 5]; chalice on left of cross shaft. Hughes (1968) gives a sketch of this slab but omits the cross head for some reason". Note: the sketch in the church notes has been rotated 180 degrees. The cross head is barely visible with the nake... (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by Anne T : This is Dean 5, "part of a cross slab built into the internal face of the north wall of the nave, 2.5m up, midway between the two windows. The cross head is very similar to [Dean] 3 and [Dean] 4, although made a little more elaborate by incised line decoration; on the right of the shaft is the seven-lobed pommel of a sword. Thirteenth century".

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by Anne T : A very worn cross slab, this is Dean 2, described in the church notes as: "Fawn sandstone slab, intact but very worn, in the nave floor, 2m north of [Dean] 1. Incised design; faint traces of a cross with large fleur-de-lys terminals, and a border panel which may have carried an inscription. A late (15th or early 16th century) floor stone."

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by Anne T : Medieval cross slab Dean 1, described in the church notes as: "The upper half of a slab of fine-grained buff sandstone, in the floor, set against the eastern respond of the south arcade [partly hidden by blue partitions which house stacked chairs, so cannot easily be moved]. The cross head seems to have been composed of four circles in place of the conventional arms, set within a ring. Each circ...

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by Anne T : Very difficult to photograph, as the window is 'barricaded' by blue partitions, with numerous stacks of chairs behind! Rather blurred photo, but still gives an impression of the bracelet cross carved onto it. Described in the church notes as: "The head of a fawn sandstone slab set into the internal sill of the easternmost window in the south wall of the south aisle. Round-leaf bracelet cros... (1 comment)

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by Anne T : This is Cross Slab 4, as described in the notes within the church. It is "(a) slab of light buff sandstone forming the internal lintel of the same window [easternmost window in the south wall of the south aisle]. The cross head is of precisely the same type as [Cross Slab] 3; there are traces of a sword on the right of the shaft. Very worn and quite difficult to spot unless the light is at t...

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by Anne T : Standing to the south-west of the cross, looking back towards the external south wall of the nave and the chancel/sanctuary.

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by Anne T : First view of the preaching cross as you walk from the lych gate of the church towards the south porch (to the left of the path, can't really be missed!)

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by SumDoood : Viewed from left.

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by SumDoood : Viewed from right.

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by SumDoood : Straight ahead view with excessive contrast.

St Oswald's Church (Dean)
St Oswald's Church (Dean) submitted by SumDoood : The church is a most unusual and, I'd suggest, attractive building, C12th in origin, or older? Enter through the main door and turn right to find the carved boulder a few yards away. Taken 18-02-2018 and viewed from straight ahead.

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"St Oswald's Church (Dean)" | Login/Create an Account | 1 comment
  
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Re: St Oswald's Church (Dean) by Anne T on Thursday, 11 August 2022
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We were unable to find Dean 10, which the church notes said "lies outside the east wall of the south porch", so if anyone finds this cross slab, and has photographs, I'd be delighted to see them. The church notes describe this slab as: "Intact but badly decayed slab. Faint traces of a four-circle or bracelet cross, probably of the common round-leaf type. The foot of the stone is better preserved, with part of a stepped base, a seven-petalled rosette immediately below, and a raised eight-petalled flower carved on the lower chamfer. 13th century".
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