No 21 - Nailsea and District Local History Society

Nailsea churchyard crossTo the left (west) of the south porch of Holy Trinity Church and about 1m fromthe wall of the church is the socket and shaft of a cross not recorded by Pooley.The original site of the cross is not known but there is a round mound whichmight suit. This mound is to the south of the path which comes from the westside of the churchyard to the church door. This small remnant of a much largercross, could have been moved some distance. It may have stood at a roadjunction nearby. It is a Grade II Listed Building, but undatable from itsappearance.Cross base at Nailsea CourtImmediately inside the entrance gate to Nailsea Court, at the end of the drive,and on the left hand side of the road, close to the barn, is the socket of amedieval cross. The mortise for the fitting of the stone shaft has been enlarged,possibly for use as a trough, and there is now a thicket of grass in it, whichoverhangs and hides the structure completely. There does not appear to be anyrecord of a cross in the vicinity, and it may be that the stone was brought toNailsea Court from elsewhere (1) . Because Nailsea Court is a Grade I ListedBuilding, this cross is also protected as a Listed Structure.Tickenham churchyard crossPooley drew this cross exactly as it looks today, in the position to which it hadclearly been moved at some time. A drawing in the Piggott collection in theSomerset Studies Library in Taunton shows it in the same position in 1828.It is just possible that a large rectangular stone with a pronounced dripmoulding,serving as the foot stone for the stone stile next to the gate of thechurchyard, may have been one stone of the steps of Tickenham cross. It cannotbe dated more accurately than 1250-1550.Wraxall churchyard crossPooley pointed out that this cross is very similar to a group of others in NorthSomerset, such as the crosses at Dundry, Wick St Lawrence and Yatton. They allhave an extra ‘star’ plinth inserted under the socket, and all have evidence inthe form of worn holes or deliberate damage caused by the extraction of iron