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Sites Anne T has logged on trip number: 97 (View all trips)
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St Bartholomew's Church (Newbiggin by the Sea)
Trip No.97 Entry No.2 Date Added: 30th Sep 2018
Site Type: Ancient Cross
Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes
St Bartholomew's Church (Newbiggin by the Sea) submitted by Anne T on 26th Sep 2018. This unusual fragment is built into the southern end of the east wall, near the altar (inside). It has been interpreted as "a net with entangled fishes" (the fishes head can just be seen towards the top of the stone). This fragment is dated to the 12th century and is said to have been part of a column capital.
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Log Text: Ancient cross slabs, Newbiggin by the Sea: The website for St. Bartholomew’s announces that the church “has one of the most important collections of coffin lids and grave markers in the county, mostly re-set during the 1913 restoration, when the north aisle, demolished in antiquity, was reinstated. Other fragments are distributed around the church and in the South porch. There are around 20 pieces in all. Most of the slabs are of late twelfth or thirteenth century date; several show signs of post medieval re-use.”
I have included my photographs and notes here, as I think these grave markers are more spectacular than those in Kilmartin churchyard – their designs are less worn and Peter Ryder, archaeologist for the church, has written about them in his assessment of the church, dated January 2013.
On the day of our visit, the mid afternoon sun was streaming through the windows on the northern side of the church, which made photographing some of the fragments a little tricky (my photographic skills weren’t quite up to it!) and the stream of visitors into the church made me feel rude by continually using the flash.
Some of the cross slabs are in the vestry and some in the tower, but it was not possible to see these. Another three have been used as paving slabs on the external west wall of the tower, but I didn’t spot these, as they seem to be worn.
From the small guide book “The Church of St. Bartholomew”, centre right page:
The two (cross slabs) above the altar at the east end are outstanding with their richly carved borders, delicate florets and symbolic shears and keys. An engraving of one was published as long ago as 1854, shortly after their discovery, when they were recognised as being of national importance.
Ulgham Cross
Trip No.97 Entry No.3 Date Added: 17th Sep 2018
Site Type: Ancient Cross
Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2018. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5
Ulgham Cross submitted by Anne T on 17th Sep 2018. The Ulgham Cross, which is set in a recess in the roadside wall, near to the junction of the B1337 and Ulgham Lane. It has an overall height of 3m, the plain (but weathered) cross shaft standing on four very old stone steps, which look as if they used to belong to an old village cross.
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Log Text: Ulgham Cross, Near Ashington, Northumberland: From Newbeggin By The Sea, we headed inland to try and find this cross, which we thought was near the church. In typical Tate fashion, we'd arrived when there was a Sculpture Show at the Church; as they were charging to go in, we declined, and set off to find this cross, which is around 320m WSW of the church of St John The Baptist.
The photographs we'd seen of the cross had black painted iron railings in front of it, and we were temporarily confused as these have now been removed. This cross is located just west of the junction of Ulgham Lane with the B1337, in front of two modern bungalows. With the railings no longer in place, I walked up the four steps and had a look at the back of the cross. It looks as if it’s had a hard life and has numerous holes and weathering. It looked to my untrained eye as if it might have been a repurposed standing stone.
Much to the amusement of the passing traffic, I darted in and out of the road to try and get the best photographs I could, as the sunlight behind the cross was dazzling.
Woodhorn Cross
Trip No.97 Entry No.1 Date Added: 23rd Sep 2018
Site Type: Ancient Cross
Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2018. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5
Woodhorn Cross submitted by Anne T on 23rd Sep 2018. Face a of the cross head of AS Corpus Woodhorn 01, described as: "There is a flat central roundel cleverly composed of a central motif of two intersecting loops which spin out into intersecting circles of interlaced strands. The upper arm has a split plait motif, in which the strands are bent into a V shape between the four end knots and the diagonal strand becomes an edge strand. On the right arm is a ring-knot of two concentric rings crossed diagonally by two closed circuit loops. On the left ...
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Log Text: Woodhorn Church Museum: This church is now deconsecrated and is a museum. It is only open on Bank Holidays and Heritage Days, such as ‘Doors Open Days’. We arrived just before 1pm and they had just arrived to open the church up.
The Woodhorn Cross was easy to find, but asking where the other Norman stones recorded on a notice by the cross, plus the other stones featured on the Corpus, the Friends of the Church who were helping out told us they didn’t know where they were located, but gave us a leaflet about the church.
We found other fragments incorporated into the fabric of the building, plus others under a table at the north side of the sanctuary, plus others under the altar! AS Corpus Woodhorn 02 and 03 appear to be in the main museum nearby.