As part of our Easter celebrations, we asked churches from across the diocese to share photos and stories of crosses in their contexts, as part of a wider reflection on what the cross means to Christians. Photos of these crosses were also included in this year’s Easter video, which can be watched below:
Parish of Basingstoke Down
The mosaic cross found in the Parish of Basingstoke Down is the final part of a shared art project created over Holy Week in 2022. It was begun on Palm Sunday when congregations at Immanuel and St Mark’s churches were invited to decorate a tile with joyful things as they reflected on Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem.
On Good Friday morning, the tiles were all on display, and it came as a shock that one of the activities during the service was to choose a tile and take a hammer to it! This was a powerful symbol of how brokenness, or sin, comes into our world and affects us all – sometimes we are its cause and sometimes its casualty.
Yet this brokenness was transformed as Jesus died on the cross, offering humanity a new possibility and a new way of life.
To symbolise this transformation, as part of the ‘Hour at the Cross’ service that afternoon, the congregation began to pull together the broken pieces to shape into a cross, while reflecting on the cost to God of this new way for humanity. The tile pieces were then sealed to the cross with resin.
On Easter Sunday, the parish was able to see what had become of all the broken pieces – how they had been transformed into something beautiful, just as our lives are transformed by God’s love.
As a newly formed parish that had been trying to find its way through a challenging reorganisation, as people who were coming out of the other side of a pandemic, and as disciples of Jesus acknowledging the brokenness of the world and our own lives, the cross was a sign of hope and new life. It continues to be a symbol of God’s grace to us, who makes all things new.
St James’ West End
When Revd Howard Green was vicar at West End (1954-77), a Rood Cross and its accompanying figures of Mary and John were purchased from a store of artefacts from bombed or redundant Southampton churches.
Revd Green fixed the crucifix and the figures to a tree stump in the churchyard, as a sort of wayside cross (pictured left). It stayed there for many years until one night it was badly vandalised. The firm of Nicholsons renovated it and in 1989 it was eventually installed on the East wall of the church, behind the Altar. The figures of Mary and John are usually displayed in one of the north windows.
The crucifix, with its figure of Christ carved from Irish bog oak, adds to the beauty of the East end of the church at St James. To many people it seems always to have been there and has been a focal point for our worship for over 35 years. However, the cross has quite a history, some lost in time as no one is completely sure which church in Southampton it originally came from!
St Christopher’s Church, Thornhill
This cross at St Christopher’s Church in Thornhill, Southampton, is something of a local landmark. It was designed especially for St Christopher’s when it was built in 1970, and is the first thing you notice on entering. It casts lovely light patterns on the floor when the sun is shining, and a light directed at it from inside the church ensures that it is lit when viewed from outside in the dark.
It is interesting to note that the central red design that can be seen in the cross has been used as part of the logo for St Christopher’s Church.
Parish of Chandlers Ford
Within the Parish of Chandlers Ford, one of the more memorable crosses is the stained glass cross in St Martin in the Wood. This is a beautiful cross is made up of 153 pieces, which many churchgoers have tried to count! The number of pieces is relevant, as the cross represents the story in John 21 where 153 fish were caught.
This cross is above the alter and is defiantly a focal point when you are in the church. The photo of the sun coming through the window was taken on Easter morning 2020, which was a time when no one could attend church services due to the pandemic. The photo was shared with the parish as the sun rose, as a way to share a sign of hope and normality in the challenging circumstances we were living in.
Another cross within the parish is the war memorial outside St Boniface. As evidenced by the photo taken at Remembrance Day last November, the war memorial is the focal point for everyone to gather. It is where the parish begins their Remembrance service, and wreaths from all around the parish are laid there, as well as a homemade wreath by a local playgroup.
St Alban’s Church, Swaythling
The cross found at St Alban’s Church, Swaythling, was given in memory of Frank Ryan, a long-serving Churchwarden in the Parish. Situated at the side of the Altar, it is a key visual focal point for the congregation – whatever else is going on, the Cross is always in sight.
St Alban’s is not an overly decorated church, and it has been remarked that there is a particular simplicity to this cross that speaks of that quiet strength of Jesus – he didn’t (often) shout – the one who is softly spoken but captivates the room.
Beaulieu Abbey Church
The memorial cross at Beaulieu Abbey church was originally in the form of a wooden Calvary Cross with Christ and supporting Saints. It was commissioned and paid for by Frank and Pearl Armstrong, dedicated to their beloved only son Sub-Lieutenant R.N. Philip, who lost his life in January 1918.
On the first anniversary of the Armistice, the Calvary Cross was also dedicated to the memory of others who fell in World War I from Beaulieu, and eight further names were incised on the plinth of Portland stone. In 1945, the cross was also the focus of a special service of thanksgiving for the ending of the war in Europe.
Ten names of those who died in World War II were added to the plinth of the cross in 1964, and extensive repairs carried out to the woodwork, which included replacing the entire wooden cross. Further repairs were also needed about 25 years later, and it was eventually decided in 2006 that a replacement cross in Portland stone would be a more durable and lasting memorial to Beaulieu’s war dead.
The cross you now see at Beaulieu Abbey Church was rededicated by the Archdeacon of Bournemouth on 4 November 2007. The replacement memorial cross with Sword of Sacrifice is based on the work of Sir Reginald Blomfield R.A., the pre-eminent Edwardian architect whose design for the War Graves Commission can also be seen in British war cemeteries at home and across the world.
The carved wooden figures were removed for renovation and redisplay in the safety of the church interior, and the magnificent great cross now hanging above the altar (pictured below) was fashioned from the similarly consecrated woodwork of the old Calvary.
All nineteen names remain as first inscribed on the original plinth, on whose spreading ledges the Beaulieu Abbey Church community lay their wreaths and tributes today.
St Mary’s Church, Old Basing and Lychpit
The Silver Altar Cross at St. Mary’s Church, Old Basing and Lychpit, was crafted by Richard Barnes during the tenure of Revd David Picton.
A long-standing member of the congregation, Richard took up silversmithing upon his retirement. Wishing to create something special for St. Mary’s, he was encouraged by Revd David to design an altar cross. In addition to the cross, he also crafted a small, solid silver chalice, ideal for home communion visits.
Made from solid silver and adorned with sapphires, the cross is regularly used in services. To ensure its safekeeping, Richard also designed a wooden case for storage in the church’s safe between services.
Parish of Bishopstoke
This simple wooden cross was made some years ago by a church member from local wood for an Easter holiday club and has been used many times since.
With a bit of help, children can assemble the cross – a tactile way to start a conversation about the meaning of the cross in Christianity. The wooden cross is also a great visual aid for all-age talks.
A Collection of Crosses from Across the Diocese
