On the west face of the south transept is the larger of Romsey Abbey’s Saxon Roods. It dates from approximately 1000 years ago, so would have been moved from the previous abbey. Imagine the clean crisp lines of the new statuary. The near life-sized sculpture in Byzantine style on a Latin cross, is on just three stone blocks.
Jesus has open eyes and is showing no pain. His feet are uncrossed and are separately pierced with nails. His head is backed with a halo as the hand of God reaches down from a cloud (representing heaven) to receive Him.
To the right is a recess where an oil lamp or a candle would have been kept burning. It has a primitive chimney, the smoke escaping through three holes in the stone above. This also came from the Saxon stone church.
The level of the area immediately in front of the rood was lowered during archaeological works in 1977, taking it closer to the ground level the nuns would have known.
The Abbess’s Doorway is now not used. The doorway is Norman, but unfortunately in the past a slanting groove was cut through the rich ornamentation during the building of a shed! However, this shed actually protected the Saxon Rood both from probable destruction and from the worst of the weather. The damaged doorway was heavily restored in the 1980s.
Continuing westwards, stop before reaching the south door of the Abbey.
