Overview
Admire the stonework of a rare cross from an early medieval kingdom. The Barochan Cross, which dates from between AD 900 and 1100, is one of only three complete crosses surviving from the kingdom of Strathclyde. The other two are:
- the ‘Sun Cross’, Govan
- the Netherton Cross, Hamilton
Of the three, the Barochan Cross is the most ornately designed. It’s nearly 2m high and decorated on all four sides, including some striking martial imagery.
The cross is now kept in Paisley Abbey. It originally stood in a sheltered spot, across from the old castle of Barochan and beside a track to Dumbarton Rock, which was the political centre of an earlier kingdom which covered the modern area of Strathclyde.
