Scheduled MonumentsWalesCross-Slab in Church
Early Medieval · Cross

Cross-Slab in Church

Breconshire, Wales
Cadw SAM BR122
Period
Early Medieval
Site type
Cross
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Cross-Slab in Church is an early medieval carved stone cross preserved within a Welsh parish church. The monument sits on Lower Devonian bedrock comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, geological strata laid down in shallow marine environments over 400 million years ago. This durable local stone provided both the foundation for the church and the raw material from which the cross itself was fashioned.

The cross-slab represents a tradition of Christian monument-making that flourished in Wales from the sixth century onwards. Such stones, typically carved from readily available local rock, served commemorative and devotional purposes within early Christian communities. The positioning of this example within the church building suggests it was valued enough to be preserved and incorporated into the later ecclesiastical structure, indicating its continued significance through successive periods of worship.

The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh Historic Monuments service, under reference BR122. This designation recognises its importance as evidence of early medieval Christianity in Wales and its role within the broader landscape of carved stone monuments that characterised the period. The cross-slab remains an accessible witness to medieval religious practice and craftsmanship in its original ecclesiastical setting.

Cross-Slab in Church is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR122. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cross-Slab in Church?

Cross-Slab in Church is an early medieval carved stone cross preserved within a Welsh parish church. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR122.

What period does Cross-Slab in Church date from?

Cross-Slab in Church dates from the early medieval period, and is classified as a cross. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Cross-Slab in Church?

Cross-Slab in Church is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is BR122.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cross-Slab in Church?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tyle Clydach Hillfort (4.8 km), Tump Wood Camp (5.4 km), Cwm Cwareli Longhouse and Long Hut (5.7 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Cross-Slab in Church

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cross-Slab in Church's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cross-Slab in Church

Cross-Slab in Church stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.