Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 3.djvu/287

Rh place of Mr. Harker of Theakstone, is now in the possession of that gentleman: the side is rudely sculptured with foliage, the gabled-end being plain. The other is now placed on the stone altar, in the crypt beneath the choir of Bedale church: although much defaced, it surpasses the former in the character of decoration. On the end, as it has been supposed, was pourtrayed the Temptation in Eden; on one side, the Saviour crucified; on the other two serpents interwoven, biting their tails, and a demi-lion recumbent. This kind of ornament, which may be noticed in many of our earlier monuments, is accounted by the northern antiquaries as appropriate to the period, termed by them, the iron age, and characterized, amongst various peculiarities, by these "Schlangenzierathen," and "Drachenzierathen," snake, and dragon ornamentations.

In the churchyard at Bedale there are two fragments of a cross sculptured with knotwork; of the larger a representation is given on the next page. Several ancient ornamented stones existed there, which have been destroyed in rubbing floors and entrance-steps; this, fortunately, proved of too hard a quality to be thus employed. In the churchyard at Hawkswell, five miles distant from Richmond, there is the shaft of another sculptured cross of small dimensions, 5$3⁄4$ ft. in height, and apparently the perfect cross measured not more than 6 ft. In the pavement, within the altar rails, may be noticed a fragment of early sculpture, representing a serpent, with rude foliage, resembling the ornaments of one of the three sculptured crosses at Gainford, to which public attention has recently been called by Mr. Walbran.

In the tower of Aycliffe church, near Darlington, Durham, two interesting crosses may be seen. Surtees conjectured that they had been erected in memorial of ecclesiastical synods, there holden, A.D. 782, and 789. The base of the cross here