Viking era crosses found at Jurby

Discovery is now on display

Two crosses from the Viking era and earlier have been found at Jurby.

The items which date back over 1,000 years were found in February last year when a section of wall fell down in the churchyard.

Culture Vannin said: "They had lain there undetected for about 200 years as a part of the wall, and, as well as being amazing and beautiful things in themselves, they tell us new information about Manx history."

In a statement, the church added: "The early Christian missionaries built keeills. Little was known about the Jurby Church keeill but in the latter part of the 19th Century PMC Kermode noted that several of the Jurby Manx Crosses were found in or leaning against the churchyard wall.

"However in February last year a section of the churchyard wall was blown down in a storm. Stones from the old keeill and the old church were found. Materials from that, from remains of a keeill and from broken up Manx Crosses had evidently been used to build the churchyard wall.

"From a section of wall less than six metres long two Manx Crosses were discovered, one is thought to date from around AD 600, the second Cross probably dates to the 11th century. This second stone is a major discovery."

Images of these crosses and further information is now on display in the church every day between 10am and 4pm until 17 August.