Copyright © Donald Watson
In my recent post on the Barochan Cross I bemoaned the fact that the original base or socket-stone remains in situ on a hillside when (in my opinion) it should be reunited with the cross. Although the cross now stands proudly inside Paisley Abbey it is incomplete without its base, to which it was joined for more than 1000 years. Viewed separately, both pieces are important relics of the Viking Age, having been carved in the 9th century by the same ‘school’ of craftsmen who produced the Govan Stones. The Barochan cross-base, despite its plain appearance, is no less a product of this sculptural tradition than the magnificently decorated shaft it once supported.
These two photographs were taken by Donald Watson in November 1998. I am grateful to Donald for allowing me to reproduce them here.
Copyright © Donald Watson
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I agree that the two should be reunited – I’m surprised that some organisation like Historic Scotland hasn’t seen the need for this?
Thanks for visiting, Jo. Maybe I need to start a campaign to get the socket-stone shifted to Paisley Abbey? Seems a shame to leave it all by itself on that hill.
Well, I would support it. Who is responsible for the cross – it is Paisley Abbey itself, or Historic Scotland?
Looks like HS are responsible for the cross: here’s a link to it on their list of properties.
Then I would have thought they’d be concerned to reunite the two! Do you have any ideas about how to go about this? I would be happy to write a letter to HS or the local Council and I would write a blog post about it if it would help.
I’m not sure of the processes involved, but HS are presumably the official custodians and decision-makers for the cross, so they would seem the first point of enquiry. Thinking further about the socket-stone, I recall an excellent idea from Thomas Gavin in the comments under my previous blogpost on the cross. As an alternative to reuniting the two, Thomas suggested leaving the socket-stone in situ as the base for a replica of the cross. I quite like this idea. It would enable people to see what the cross looked like in the landscape, even if the socket-stone was left in its present (secondary) position higher up the hill. This kind of thing already works well at places like Dunnichen and Fowlis Wester, where an original Pictish stone has been replaced by a resin/fibreglass copy.