Irton Cross facts for kids

The Irton Cross is a really old stone cross found in the churchyard of St Paul's Church in Irton with Santon, Cumbria, England. It was made a long, long time ago, around the early 800s! This makes it an important piece of Anglo-Saxon art. It's like a middle child between two other famous crosses, the Bewcastle Cross and the Gosforth Cross, but it looks more like the older Bewcastle Cross.

What Does the Cross Look Like?

The Irton Cross is covered in amazing carvings. Each side tells a different story or shows a unique pattern.

The West Side

On the west side of the cross, you'll see two sections filled with a pattern called interlace. This is a design where lines weave over and under each other, like a complicated braid. In the middle of these patterns, there's a section that used to have three lines of runes. Runes were an old alphabet used by Germanic people, including the Anglo-Saxons. All of these carvings are surrounded by a border made of knotwork, which is another type of woven pattern.

The East Side

The east side of the cross also has interesting designs. It features two sections with a diagonal key pattern, which looks like a maze of lines. There are also two sections with chequers, which are small squares. If you look closely at these chequers, you'll see they are actually tiny crosses carved into the stone.

The Narrow Sides

The narrow north and south sides of the cross have beautiful scroll work. This design looks like swirling vines with leaves, stems, and even fruit. It might be a picture of a grape vine.

Where Can You See It?

The Irton Cross is in the churchyard of St Paul's Church, which is open to everyone. You can visit the cross and look at it up close any time. It's located just south of the church building.

If you can't make it to Cumbria, you can also see a copy of the cross in London! A replica of the Irton Cross is on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. This copy was made in 1882. You can find it in the museum's cast hall, right next to a copy of the Gosforth Cross.

Images for kids

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  The Irton Cross, seen with St Paul's Church in the background. You can see the scroll patterns on its south side.

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  A copy of the Irton Cross displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

See also

In Spanish: Irton Cross para niños