Ringerike gravestone fragment, c.1015
Ringerike gravestone fragment
c.1015
August 18, 1988
Mary Covert discovers the exceptional Ringerike gravestone fragment reused as rubble in the south tower of the west facade, a rare survical from the pre-Conquest Cathedral cemetery when Rochester sat poised on the edge of the vast Danelaw. Featured in The Friends of Rochester Cathedral Annual Report for 1988.
There are very few documents or other artefacts datable to the pre-Conquest period at Rochester Cathedral, although from available evidence it appears that the successive cathedrals at Rochester have occupied approximately the same site from their establisment in 604 to the present time. Thus it is particularly gratifying to report the find of an artefact that almost certainly pre-dates even the earliest parts of the present Cathedral. Such is the case of a fragment of carved stone found embedded in an interior wall of the south-west turret in 1984 and removed for study in 1987. It is most probably a fragment of a memorial marker (perhaps a standing gravestone) which was reduced to rubble to be used in the construction of the west facade of the Norman Cathedral.
In 1984, while engaged in study of the west end of the Cathedral, the author chanced to notice the carved stone in the wall behind the door to the nave. At that time, the stairwell was not lit and the stone was difficult to see. The style of the carving appeared to be Anglo-Saxon or Viking, but it was difficult to be sure. A torchlight photograph was attempted and was successful so that back in the United States I was able to confirm my guess about its style.
Photograph of the fragment in situ, reused within eleventh or twelfth century fabric at the bottom of the west facade south tower stairs. Rochester Cathedral Chapter Library, A. Arnold Lapidarium portfolio.
In the autum of 1987, once again in England, I took the Dean and Mrs. Arnold over to see the stone. It was with considerable anticipation that I opened the door, and to my great delight, I found that the area now had lights so that the stone was easy to find. It was immediately clear that although only a fragment remained, it had come from a piece of sculpture of very high quality. The exposed face of the fragment had a lively design (see back cover) and the remains of colour could be seen.
At Mrs. Arnold's request, the Dean and Chapter granted permission for the stone to be removed for further study. Mr. Keith Taylor of Taylor, Pearce Restoration Services Ltd., carefully removed the stone from its surrounding mortar but found no more fragments of the same kind of stone. To the great joy and surprise of the Arnolds (the author again being in America) the stone proved to be carved not only on its exposed face, but on its back and curved edge as well. Photographs and measurements were made and sent to me, by kindness of Mrs. Arnold, and I did some research on the piece.
Mary Covert
Featured in The Friends of Rochester Cathedral Annual Report for 1988
Reillustrated by Anneliese Arnold and Jacob Scott.
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