MM313

St. Mary Magdalene's Churchyard Cross, Goldcliff  

31/07/2002  

Designated  

Newport  

Goldcliff  

336528  

183149  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

Cross  

Medieval  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument. The monument consists of a free standing cross in the churchyard of St. Mary Magdalene's church, Goldcliff. It is a very unusual example of a medieval cross comprising a circular mound of earth, some 3.5m in diameter and 0.60m high, revetted by a roughly-built rubble wall and surmounted by a square/octagonal socket-stone 0.63m wide by 0.52m high. The large broached stops at the corners are heavily damaged. The octagonal cross-shaft survives to a height of 0.94m and is 0.28m wide at the base, tapering to 0.24m at the top. The cross was recorded in its current position in 1893. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of the organisation and practice of Christianity. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. A cross may be part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can further enhanced by their group value. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.