Description; Not much is known about Leeds in the Dark ages. Any evidence there may be is buried under a large industrial city. However, during reconstruction of the Parish Church in 1838, several carved stones were uncovered in the fabric of the tower. They are parts of two ninth or tenth century crosses. Some are now in Leeds Museum, but several have been re-assembled in the church.
Stone crosses are a common feature of Anglo Saxon sites, some may pre-date the original building, but many were probably erected outside wooden churches, to be later demolished and used in a later stone rebuilding. See St. Gregory's Minster
Further cross fragments used to be on display in Leeds museum. I recently went to see them but the museum no longer exists! Presumably it was Thatchered in the '80's. **Apparently it's Open again. I must go see**
A detail of a robed figure, probably an evangelist. The right-hand half is, however, a reconstruction.
Closeup of the scrollwork along the side of the cross.
Sources; The Leeds Crosses, by Alec McGuire & Ann Clark. Museum of Leeds publishers
All Photographs by the author.
