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Penally 3, Incised Stone, St Nicholas and St Teilo?S Church, Penally

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NPRN423464
Map ReferenceSS19NW
Grid ReferenceSS1176899166
Unitary (Local) AuthorityPembrokeshire
Old CountyPembrokeshire
CommunityPenally
Type Of SiteINSCRIBED STONE
PeriodEarly Medieval
Description
Penally 3 consists of two fragments of a cross-shaft, the lower half of which is lost. The upper half lies loose in the vestry of St Nicholas and St Teilo's Church, Penally (NPRN 400386). Both fragments were first mentioned in 1844, when they were removed from their positions as jams in the vestry fireplace (built in 1825-1827). A drawing of the now-lost lower fragment dates to this time and identify the two as part of the same monument. The last reference to the lower fragment was 1851 when it was on display in a temporary museum in Julian Street, Tenby. In 1878 the upper fragment was in the rectory. It was moved back to the church before 1950. The stone is one of four early medieval carved stones (see NPRNs 276028, 423463, 423465) at the church.

The upper fragment is of sandstone, and is one of two not-quite adjoining parts of a cross-shaft which expands gradually towards the bottom. Dimensions for the upper fragment are given as 34cm height x 26.5 > 25cm width x 8 > 7cm diameter. Dimensions of the lower fragment are given as 25cm height x 30cm width.
The fragment is carved on all four faces. Face A (broad) is carved with interlace in medium relief and is incised with four lines of an incomplete, horizontal, roman-letter, Latin inscription. The inscription has been translated as `Here is the cross which Maildomnaig erected? (Maildomnaig is an Irish personal name, meaning `servant of the church?). Face C (broad) is carved in low relief with diagonally-set rectangular frets and two bands of plait.
Face B is carved in low relief with diagonally-set frets. Face B is carved in relief with interlace and ring-knots.
The carving, the ornament if which is considered to be very competently carved, is thought to date to the later 9th or first half of the 10th century.

Sources include:
Edwards, N. 2007, Corpus of Early Medieval Inscribed Stones and Stone Sculpture in Wales

N Vousden, 23 October 2018