Wednesday, August 01, 2018

Saxon Crosses

I've been aware for ages that there were Saxon Crosses to be found in the centre of the town in Sandbach in Cheshire but had never been either to the town or to see the crosses.  It isn't very far to travel up through the Potteries and out into South Cheshire so we decided it was high time for a visit.

The town itself was delightful with many old buildings. We made our way from the Waitrose car park through a modern shopping area into the town.  It wasn't long before we spotted the crosses on The Cobbles.

I thought that perhaps they may have cars parked near them or that perhaps people would be sitting nearby but thankfully they were completely clear and we could take a few photos without intruding on anyone.

 These two crosses are Grade 1 listed, made of sandstone and would originally have been brightly painted and decorated with jewels and metal work. They have been dated to around the 9th Century and are thought to be some of the most important monuments connected to the Saxon Kingdom of Mercia.  The taller of the two crosses is about 16 feet or 4.8 metres high and the smaller is 11 feet or 3.3 metres high.  There was reportedly a third cross.

 The carvings draw heavily on the motifs and techniques of metal working and show the prestige of the jeweller in Anglo-Saxon Society.  There are also Scottish and Continental influences in the depiction of the biblical scenes carved into them.

The first mention of the crosses comes in 1585 when they were to be seen in the market place after the town had been granted a charter for two fairs and a weekly market.   They were dismantled in the 17th century because the Puritans didn't like religious imagery and disappeared into people's garden walls and footpaths. They were found by local antiquarian George Ormerod in the early 19th century (c. 1816) and gradually pieced together.  Similar sandstone was used to replace the missing parts.

There are more pieces to be found in the nearby churchyard. They could be pieces of the third cross. They were moved there for safety in 1950 when the crosses came into the hands of the Ministry of Works.  They are now cared for by English Heritage.

 On one side of the smaller cross is depicted the story of King Paeda of Mercia, son of pagan King Penda, who converted to Christianity c650.

 Here is a link to an article about the crosses which gives a lot more information about their historic background - The Journal of Antiquities


St Mary's Church is quite large and had three wonderful arches under the tower.  The tower sits over a public footpath which passes under the arches.


As I wandered under the arch I spotted the early carved memorial stone below.


It is dedicated to Mary, the first wife of Robert Smith who died in 1687.

Back in the town we had a wander around a few street and shops.  Above is 'Ye Olde Black Beare Inn' built in 1634.  It is the last remaining thatched building in the town centre. 

 Opposite, and not far from the Saxon Crosses is the War Memorial.


The front of the Town Hall which dates from 1889 and retains many of its Victorian Gothic features.  The interior was refurbished in 2013.


 Above the drinking fountain of 1897 is Grade 11 listed and designed by Thomas Bower architect of the town hall.
The pub on the left is called The Lower Chequer.

There were some lovely window boxes and hanging baskets decorating some of the shop, pubs and houses in the town.


I was intrigued by the name of this street but have as yet been unable to find out anything about it's origin. 

28 comments:

  1. What a beautiful little town, the Saxon crosses are quite wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't know what to expect but they are wonderful aren't they?:)

      Delete
  2. What an interesting town and a great set of photos. The Saxon crosses are superb and the carvings seem to have stood the test of time. Thank goodness for George Ormerod! :) The old carved memorial stone looks as if it is well looked after too.

    A wonderful post Rosie and I hope you can find some information on the fascinating street name :) It looks a great day out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you RR. Indeed we do owe a lot to those 18th and 19th century antiquarians who saved lots of these monuments and buildings for us to enjoy. I was surprised at how clear the memorial stone was seeing as it was in the path. Glad you enjoyed the post:)

      Delete
  3. What a wonderful place to visit, so much history. The Saxon crosses were a delight, I would love to see them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, I can't believe I haven't been to see them before as it isn't very far away, about 40 mins by car:)

      Delete
  4. What a wonderful place to visit! There is so much to see, and to take in. Lovely...

    And what a history. Cheers to the person who found the pieces and had them reassembled. !!!!!

    Thank you for taking me along.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, I love little towns with lots of history. Glad you enjoyed the visit:)

      Delete
  5. To think those crosses are so old. It would be lovely to see them as they were. What a colourful world it must have been. Another place to put on my 'to visit ' list. B x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that is the most interesting part - the fact that they were bright and colourful and almost jewel like. They must have been very impressive:)

      Delete
  6. I'd never heard of those crosses or seen anything else quite like them. Arches beneath church towers exist in this part of the country though these churches are all ones that were rebuilt on a much larger scale back in medieval times. In those days processions formed an important part of services, including walking around the boundary of the consecrated ground. These churches had become so huge that they went right up to the boundary and arches had to be built so that progress wasn't blocked by the building. I know of one church where there's a tunnel underneath the chancel for the same reason. Your church was rebuilt in Victorian times, but did it re-create the plan of the earlier church? The existence of a footpath suggests it might have done.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I remember the 'beating the bounds' ceremony from childhood at our little village church. I've looked at a history page from the church's website and it appears that there was an 11th century church which was replaced in the 15th century. This was added to and rebuilt in places in the 19th century by George Gilbert Scott. It says that the tower was rebuilt as a copy of the former one - assume this was the 15th century one and that it was in the same place. The stone came from nearby Mow Cop:)

      Delete
  7. Marvelous architecture. The Saxon crosses are the first I've heard of them, though I've recently been looking at a few Saxon items at a museum exhibit here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you William, I'm enjoying your Museum posts. The crosses are wonderful aren't they?:)

      Delete
  8. Who would have thought Sandbach would be so pretty, I only think of it as the Services on the motorway. Amazing that the crosses have lasted so long being made of sandstone and with all the turmoil in the country. 😊

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha - the dreaded M6, I always forget that the services up north from us are Keele, Sandbach and Knutsford. The little town would be a nice detour from the busy motorway. Apparently there was a bit of a skirmish near where they are in the time of the Civil War but then the stones had been moved because of the imagery otherwise they may perhaps have been destroyed

      Delete
  9. What an interesting post. I'd not heard of Saxon crosses previously. I'm so glad private citizens removed them and hid them away from the Puritans. The Cromwells (Thomas and Oliver) certainly accomplished a lot of destruction during their tenures. Sandbach sounds like a lovely town to visit. I hope to return to the UK one day to explore.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Lorrie, yes it is good that the crosses were dismantled and then the pieces found later and put back together again so we can see them now. How splendid they must have been when first erected:)

      Delete
  10. It's good that the Saxon crosses were eventually put back together and have been erected in a place where they can be seen once again. The carvings must be interesting to decipher. Sandbach looks an attractive town with many historic features that have been preserved.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Linda, it is wonderful thecrosses are stillaround after their ups and downs over hundreds of years. I quite liked Sandbach and would visit again:)

      Delete
  11. Sandbach looks lovely and picturesque. How interesting that the Saxon crosses would have been brightly painted and decorated with jewels and metal work! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is hard to imagine the crosses as colourful and shiny, same as the interior of churches which would have had wall paintings and colourful decorations when first built:)

      Delete
  12. Very interesting. I've only drive by Sandbach, I've never stopped to explore and didn't know it had all those saxon crosses.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's only a small town and we had only ever been through the outskirts or passsed by. It was nice to see what the town centre was like:)

      Delete
  13. The crosses are amazing. I don't think I've seen anything like them.
    Does the drinking fountain still work?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know about the water fountain, I guess not as it is in the middle of quite a busy roundabout and it would be tricky to get to it. I can't find out anything on line except its history:)

      Delete
  14. There is a lot of history in this town. It is interesting to read about the Saxon crosses and incredible that they survived being dismantled and then restored to their rightful place. Thank you for sharing your visit, Rosie. Marie x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think if they hadn't been dismantled and used in various walls and houses then they wouldn't have been found by the antiquary and the pieces brought together again. It was good detective work on his part:)

      Delete