Summary

Base and broken shaft of village cross, probably dating to no later than the C11.

Description

The cross is of oolitic limestone. It has a square base measuring approximately 0.7m by 0.7m. The south side is the only side that is left partially exposed from the ground, and shows the top part of an arcade consisting of three cusped pointed arches with a wider arch in the centre. The base has a socket for the shaft, now broken, which measures approximately 1.2m. It is square on plan and has two prominent convex mouldings on each side.

History

In the medieval period, standing crosses were set up in various places from cross-roads and market places to villages and churchyards. They were used in numerous ways, such as memorials and marks to guide travellers, and were also a focus for public proclamations and preaching. The cross in Langham is located in the north-east corner of the churchyard of the Church of St Peter and St Paul (Grade I listed). It is understood to have been moved in the mid-C17 from its original location to the north of the Church shown on a 1624 map of the village. The cross has been dated to no later than the C11 on the evidence of the arcading on the base.

Reasons for Listing

The base and broken shaft of Langham village cross is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural Interest: it is an early medieval structure that has been dated to no later than the C11 on the evidence of the arcading on the base.
* Historic interest: it is an eloquent relic of a past community for whom it would have had a diverse functional importance.
* Artistic Interest: the simple, carved arcading attests to the early medieval date of the cross and the craftsmanship in its execution;
* Group Value: the cross has group value with the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, listed at Grade I.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26676114

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)