Eric Bloodaxe

A long-held local legend states that the cross was the burial place of Eric Bloodaxe, Viking Ruler of Northumbria.^[5] However, Norman Davies posits that it was a "boundary stone . . . halfway between Penrith and Barnard Castle."^[6]

The antiquarian W. G. Collingwood (1854 – 1932) suggested that the cross might have been commissioned to commemorate the Norwegian Viking king Eric Bloodaxe. ^{[lower-alpha 5]}

Name history

• Reir Croiz de Staynmore (Anglo-Norman French) c.1280. ^{[lower-alpha 11]}
• Rerecrosse (English) c.1610. ^{[lower-alpha 12]}
• Reicrosse (Scots) c.1610. ^[8]

Toponym (English)

Rerecrosse (English) c.1610

• The honour cross.
• At the honour cross.
• By the honour cross.

The letter ' R ' is a Medieval English (female) abbreviation ( ” the, at the, by the ” ). ^{[lower-alpha 14]}

The element ' ere ' is from Medieval English ' ære '  : ( ” honour ” ) ^{[lower-alpha 15]}

Toponym (Scots)

Reicrosse (Scots) c.1610

• Cross of the burial place.

The element ' Rei ' is from Old Norse ' hreyr ' : ( ” cairn, burial place ” ) ^{[lower-alpha 16]}

The Scots version of the name, which became the name we know today, was based on the legend that the Norwegian Viking king Eric Bloodaxe had been buried there. ^{[lower-alpha 17] [lower-alpha 18]}

Natural England maps

Maps for Rey Cross and the surrounding area, showing Access, Administrative Geographies and other criteria from Natural England:

• MAGiC MaP : Listed building. ^{[10] [lower-alpha 19] [lower-alpha 20] [lower-alpha 21]}

• MAGiC MaP : Scheduled Monument. ^{[11] [lower-alpha 22] [lower-alpha 23]}

• MAGiC MaP : Parish boundary. ^{[12] [lower-alpha 24] [lower-alpha 25]}

• MAGiC MaP : Sites of Special Scientific Interest. ^{[13] [lower-alpha 26] [lower-alpha 27]}

• MAGiC MaP : Gods Bridge SSSI and Pennine Way. ^{[14] [lower-alpha 28] [lower-alpha 29]}

Stainmore Pass Roman road

The Stainmore Pass Roman road (Margary route 82 ^{[lower-alpha 30]} ) was a trans Pennine route from Scotch Corner in North Yorkshire to Brougham near Penrith, Cumbria. ^{[15] [lower-alpha 31]}

Its main purpose was to connect the Roman road Dere Street ( from Eboracum ( York ) ) with the road network on the north west side of the Pennine chain, and especially the Roman fort of Petriana ( Stanwix ) near Luguvalium ( Carlisle ). Petriana was the largest fort on Hadrian's Wall. ^{[lower-alpha 33]}

Unlike many other Roman roads its route is well known since it was largely defined by the topography of the Stainmore pass through the Pennine chain. The modern A66 road follows most of the route of the original Roman road for the same reason.

Early history 10th century

At the beginning of the 10th century, the River Tees and the Stainmore Pass Roman road ^{[lower-alpha 45]} separated the Kingdom of Northumbria to the north from the Viking Kingdom of Jórvík to the south. ^{[lower-alpha 46]} A large part of modern day Cumbria was then part of the Kingdom of Strathclyde and was known as " Scottish Cumberland " . ^{[lower-alpha 47] [lower-alpha 48]}

During the 10th century the extent of the land ruled variously by Northumbria, Strathclyde and Jórvík changed frequently; the Kingdom of Strathclyde was probably at its largest extent c.940 A.D. ^{[lower-alpha 49]}

In 927 A.D. Æthelstan (r.924-939) conquered the Viking Kingdom of Jórvík, previously part of the Northumbrian Kingdom, and subsequently became the first King of the English. ^{[lower-alpha 50] [lower-alpha 51]}

In the same year Æthelstan successfully arranged a peace treaty between various Anglo-Saxon kings, known as the Peace of Eamont. ^{[lower-alpha 52]}

Rey Cross was ordered by Æthelstan's half-brother Edmund I (r.939-946) to serve as a boundary marker between England and Scotland. ^{[lower-alpha 55]}

Edgar the Peaceful (Chester 973 A.D.)

In 973 A.D. Edgar the Peaceful sailed to Deva Victrix (Chester Roman fort) where he received homage from the rulers of Alba, Strathclyde, Wales, and the Kingdom of the Isles. ^{[lower-alpha 56] [lower-alpha 57]}

The list of rulers included:

• Kenneth II, king of Alba (r.971–995).
• Máel Coluim, king of Strathclyde. ^{[lower-alpha 58]}

In return for their homage, Edgar confirmed that:

• Lothian was part of the Kingdom of Alba
• Cumbria was part of the Kingdom of Strathclyde

Saint Margaret of Scotland (11th century)

In The Lives of the Saints, St. Margaret of Scotland this is written: "and soon the Norman agreed to a peace on these conditions, that he should restore Sibert, earl of Northumberland and leave Cumberland as formerly to the Scots, that he should treat Prince Edgar as his friend, and that the boundaries of the two kingdoms should be Kings Cross on Stanemoor, between Richmondshire and Cumberland which should have the statues and arms of the two kings of England and Scotland on each side." And from Buik of the Chronicles of Scotland, Border Exploits: "King William soon concluded a treaty with Malcolm, wherein it was agreed that a Stone Cross erected on Stanemoor, bearing the arms of the two kingdoms, should form the exact march betwixt England and Scotland." ^{[citation needed]}

Original site of the cross

The exact location of the original site of the cross is not known. It has been re-sited at least twice, most recently during road widening (1990-1992), and previously in 1887. ^{[lower-alpha 59]}

Recent history

In the late 1980s the widening of the A66 road was planned through Stainmore. In 1990 the cross was lifted from its then position to the south of the road within the Rey Cross Roman Marching Camp and an excavation of the ground underneath was performed. No bones were found at the site, although it remains possible that Eric's burial might be elsewhere on the Stainmore moors. During the road widening works the cross was moved to the Bowes Museum for safekeeping. After completion of the road works in 1992 the monument was re-sited to its current position which is easily accessible from a layby in the road.^[5][21]

Chronology 10th century