Many historic churches in Yorkshire have a fragment or rather more of a standing cross from the Anglo-Saxon age either in the building or occasionally the churchyard. Quite a few of those which are only a portion were discovered during restoration work of the churches during the nineteenth century. It is unusual for examples to be found these days.
However the grounds of the seventeenth century East Riddlesden Hall near Keighley have yielded two portions that fit together from such a cross. The first part was found in 1959 and then the second part thirty years later. They have now been reconnected and put on display at the Hall. The cross is dated to the period c.900 -1066.
The story of the discovery together with illustrations - although it assigns the eagle as an emblem to the wrong St John - can be seen on the BBC News website at Fragments of Anglo-Saxon cross go on display
The National Trust website for East Riddlesden Hall gives something about the cross fragments as well as a concise history of the house at East Riddlesden Hall's history
The illustrated National Trust catalogue entry for the piece can be seen at Part of an Anglo-Saxon stone cross 201444
There is much more detailed article about the cross and others from the same sculptor or school at ‘The Display of the Anglo-Saxon Crosses of the Keighley Area’
Originally crosses such as this would appear to have been painted and served as churchyard crosses, grave markers or preaching stations. Others may have served to indicate boundaries or as way markers along routes, rather as one still sees crucifixes in the parts of the French or south German countryside.
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