NHER 3925 (Monument record) - Pentney Cross

30 July 1980. Site visit. Cross stands on an island of grass by a wooden pylon in a beet field.
The stone cross here is very unusual. It is a normal wayside cross, with a polygonal shaft 2m high on base with stop angles and is set on a plinth placed anglewise on top of a podium, also about 2m high. (Schedule gives total height as 5.5m (18ft) which seems a little exaggerated). The podium consists of four sloping buttresses topped with stone slabs, formerly reaching to ground but now cut away at the base exposing the flint core. The structure seems to be all of one date and was presumably set up by the priory in the medival period.
Ancient Monuments description in file.
E. Rose (NAU) 30 July 1980.

1992.
Architects plans (S1) in file.
E.Rose (NAU).

1993.
Structure restored by NCC. See full description and drawings (S2) in file.

January 1994. Historic building report.
Repairs to the cross took place in winter 1992 to repair severe erosion at the foot of the cross by replacing the four missing buttresses that threatened the stability fo the monument. Due to the absence of documentary evidence it is difficult to date the structure exactly but details such as the diagonally set buttresses, 'boule' ornament, existence of pinnacles, coping profile, base moulding and trilobe squinches suggest a 14th century date. Crosses such as this one in the vicinity of monastic establishments also occur in Binham and formerly at Langley, although it is not clear what their function was.
See (S3).
S. Howard (NLA), 7 May 2010.

19 October 2000.
Cross added to Monument Protection Programme schedule.
See file. Ancient Monument number 31128.
D. Gurney (NLA) 19 October 2000.