Anglo Saxon Preaching Cross

The remains of an Anglo-Saxon Preaching Cross are displayed in the churchyard of the Minister Church of St. Peter ad Vincula in Stoke.

Originally Preaching Crosses of this type were placed outdoors to mark a Christian preaching place.

At the Minister Church of St. Peter ad Vincula in Stoke only the shaft of the original cross remains. This was identified by Charles Lyman a local architect in the mid-19th Century, and it was Lyman who re-erected the cross remnant close to its original position.

The shaft which is approximately 4 feet high and has incised interlaced Celtic designs run down its length. It is believed to date from 750 – 780 and shows that the early Christian church often adopted pre-existing Celtic sites and practices.