Ring-headed crosses of impressive height and intricate design were first erected in Iona and Ireland from the eighth century onwards. This book deals with these but also shows how they were the culmination of a long period of development during the early Christian period. The early sculpture of Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Ireland is examined against the background of the spread of Christian beliefs and practices. Examples selected from the whole of the Celtic west between the fifth and eleventh centuries are fully discussed and illustrated. A bibliography and list of places to visit are also included.

Malcolm Seaborne was born in Cardiff and read history at Cambridge. He taught in schools and universities before becoming the Principal of University College, Chester, from which post he retired in 1987. He has written articles on vernacular building styles and has published a major study of the history of school architecture between 1370 and 1870. His interest in the history of architecture and the applied arts led him to make an extensive study of the many early Christian crosses which survive in Celtic Britain and Ireland. He holds a doctorate of the University of Cambridge and is also the author of 'Schools in Wales 1500-1900' and 'Victorian Stained Glass Windows in Flintshire Churches'.