Scheduled MonumentsWalesTwo Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw
Early Medieval · Cross-marked stone

Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw

Denbighshire, Wales
Cadw SAM DE161
Period
Early Medieval
Site type
Cross-marked stone
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw is an early medieval monument comprising two stones bearing incised cross marks. These stones stand in the churchyard of St Digain's, an ancient church dedicated to the sixth-century Welsh saint. The crosses are characteristic of early Christian practice in Wales, where unmarked or simply marked stones served as territorial or religious markers within ecclesiastical communities from the fifth century onwards.

The stones rest upon Ludlow Rocks, a Ludlow-age formation composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. This local geology has provided the material for countless monuments and structures across the region throughout the medieval period. The incised cross motif represents a practical, economical method of Christian inscription that would have been readily visible to churchgoers and pilgrims approaching the sacred space.

The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation, under reference DE161, recognising its significance as evidence of early Christian settlement and religious practice in Llangernyw. These modest stones survive as tangible connections to the early medieval Welsh Church and its enduring spiritual landscape.

Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE161. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw?

Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw is an early medieval monument comprising two stones bearing incised cross marks. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference DE161.

What period does Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw date from?

Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw dates from the early medieval period, and is classified as a cross-marked stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw?

Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw 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 DE161.

What other scheduled monuments are near Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hendre-Isaf Castle Mound (1.4 km), Pant-y-Rhedyn Earthwork (3.5 km), Rhos y Domen Round Barrows (4.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw'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 Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw

Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw stands on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Two Cross-Incised Stones in St Digain's Churchyard, Llangernyw

Bryn Celli DduArchaeological site · ~22.8 miles