independent Cornish news and comment

PROJECT TO MICROCHIP CORNISH WAYSIDE CROSSES

Cornwall Council's Executive Member for Environment and Heritage, Adam Paynter, announced today the launch of a project to help protect medieval granite wayside crosses in Cornwall by using modern technology to microchip them.


This work, undertaken by a contractor working for the Historic Environment Service of Cornwall Council, aims to protect Cornwall's most vulnerable granite monuments by fixing them with a minute silicon chip, programmed with a unique number.

The work is being carried out with the help of grants from a range of organisations, including the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage.

Adam is unhappy that the action is necessary but is confident that the project will help secure valuable items of Cornwall's heritage for generations to come. He says, "The crosses are at risk from theft because they are attractive, potentially desirable as garden ornaments, and are often accessible and portable which makes them vulnerable. But the crosses belong to the people of Cornwall past, present and future and were never intended to be placed in individuals' gardens or properties. Hopefully the introduction of the security devices will dissuade people from stealing Cornwall's heritage."

Granite wayside crosses are a unique and distinctive feature of the Cornish countryside. Created in medieval times, their purpose was to mark boundaries and to guide people to the parish church. Many have since been moved for safety to churchyards but a large number still stand in, or close to, their original locations - raised high on a hedge, set low on a verge or standing sentinel beside a footpath. In recent years, these crosses have also become an emblem of Cornish identity.

Ann Preston-Jones, Senior Archaeologist with Cornwall Council said "It is sad that protection of this sort should be needed, as the crosses are monuments of great importance to Cornish identity and often well-loved and cherished by local communities. Hopefully this modern technology will help to prevent any further attempts to steal these ancient monuments."

Three years ago, Dartmoor National Park started microchipping the crosses within its borders in an attempt to protect them from theft. This project has proved so successful that it has now been extended to include boundary stones and milestones, and the same method of protection is now being extended to Cornwall.

One hundred of Cornwall's most vulnerable wayside crosses have been identified and these are being fitted with a microchip in a way that causes no damage to the cross. Andrew Langdon, the consultant employed to do this work said "Once in place, the microchip is invisible and will be safe for at least twenty five years, although we will be checking them regularly to ensure that they are still functioning." Andrew continued "The microchips are backed up by other detailed information and photos of the crosses, stored in a secure database."

Most of the crosses being given this protection are wayside crosses in the care of Cornwall Council's Highway Section. Jeremy Edwards, Head of Highway Management said "Sadly, there have been several attempted thefts and actual thefts of granite crosses from Cornwall over the last two decades, to feed a growing market for granite artefacts and ornaments."

"Attempts have been made to steal the Reperry Cross in Lanivet parish and the cross on Whitcross Hill near Carn Brea, while the Sandyway Cross in Lanlivery was missing for several months before being recovered by police. The Halvana Cross is still missing, nearly 20 years after it was ripped from the ground in a forestry plantation on Bodmin Moor."