The Bewcastle Cross stands in the graveyard of Saint Cuthbert's Church, Bewcastle, in a remote and isolated part of northern England only a few miles from the Scottish border. Well off the usual tourist paths, Bewcastle can be accessed only by driving several miles along a minimally signed single-track road with tall hedges on both sides.
Click here for a map.
Lying several miles north of Hadrian's Wall, Bewcastle was in Roman times part of the forward defences of the wall, with a large fort and a garrison of 1000 soldiers. The Romans were here in force from AD 122, when Emperor Hadrian visited Britain and had the wall built, through the early fourth century.
Bewcastle, England is situated about 35 miles east of Ruthwell, Scotland, the location of an ancient stone cross discussed in an earlier post. The Bewcastle Cross is about a century older than the Ruthwell Cross. Architectural historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner said of the two: "There is nothing as perfect as these two crosses and of a comparable date in the whole of Europe."
The photo at left shows what remains of the Bewcastle Cross, the precise origin of which is unknown. (The cross's west face is on the left, and the south face on the right.) Made of yellow sandstone and dating from the late 7th century, it was carved at a time when Christian missionaries had brought the gospel south from Iona into northern England. Simon Jenkins calls it "one of the earliest truly English works of art".
(Click on all photos for larger views.)
Richly carved on all four sides by stone masons imported from Mediterranean countries to work on monasteries and churches in England and Scotland, the Bewcastle Cross stands over 14 feet tall, despite missing its upper section. Each face of the cross is different.
The next photo shows its north face on the left and west face on the right. There are three figures on the west face. Nearest the top is a man holding a lamb that has a halo around its head. The man is understood to be John the Baptist holding the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. The figure below shows Christ holding a scroll and standing on the heads of two beasts.
Immediately below appears a runic inscription that is believed to have been tampered with over the centuries, so an accurate translation is problematic. The inscription appears to be in praise of the 7th-century King Alcfrith, son of Oswiu. The largest figure, found at the bottom, shows a man holding a stick in his right hand, a bird on his left wrist, and a T-shaped perch below the bird. The man's identity is uncertain, but the most widely accepted view holds that he is St John the Evangelist, based largely on the supposition that bird is an eagle, symbol of John, author of the gospel that bears his name.
Identifying the bottom figure as St John also completes a relationship among the three figures: John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus, followed by Jesus, followed by John writing the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.
The carvings on the east face consist of a vine scroll intertwined with animals and birds. The north and south sides show inscriptions and patterns: vine scrolls, chequers, and interlaced knotwork.
This photo shows the south (left) and east (right) faces of the cross.
The head of the cross is believed to have been similar in shape to that of the Ruthwell Cross. A socket at the top indicates that the head of the cross was a separate piece of stone set into the shaft. Historical records indicate that the head of the cross had been removed from the shaft by 1615. A fragment of the head was said to be in the possession of an antiquarian baron who sent it to a relative. It subsequently disappeared.
Located near the England-Scotland border, the region of Bewcastle was the site of frequent armed conflict and cross-border raids from the late 11th century until the early 17th century. Cumberland (northwest England) was annexed from Scotland in 1092 by King William II of England, then ravaged by Scottish incursions in 1173, 1318, and 1401. Many of the gravestones in the churchyard show the names of notable Border Reiver clans: Armstrong, Elliott, Nixon, and Routledge. The oldest stone, bearing the name Routledge, dates from 1698.
The earliest known record of a church on the site dates from 1277, when it was built using materials taken from the old Roman fort. It was re-built in 1792, when it was dedicated to St Cuthbert. The church was altered to its present form in 1901 and a millennium/centenary stained glass window was installed in 2001.
The town of Bewcastle has a website here, with pages for the church and the cross. (At the time of writing, the church is seeking a rector.)
Drawings of all four sides of the cross are posted here.
Much of the information in this post came from an undated, unsigned pamphlet I picked up in the church on the day of our visit.
Links to all my blog posts about British churches and Christian sites can be accessed through the box located at the top of the page.
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