A FURTHER dispute is ongoing between a Monmouth archaeologist and the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust (GGAT) over a local discovery.

Robin Caulkett, member of Monmouth Archaeological Society, discovered what he believes to be a medieval cross shaft in 2003 in a field near Trellech. The discovery was reported to GCAT in 2013.

Mr Caulkett stated that Trellech, once the home of around 8,000 people, would have had “up to six churches due to its size,” hence he claims the object’s location is a plausible one as he believes there are remains of a church in a nearby field, especially with Old Church Lane nearby.

He went on to say he thought that a cross base ‘socket’ near Trellech Grange is the same size as the stone’s base he’d discovered, which he claims further proves that the stone is part of a medieval cross.

The shaping, he added, is representative of a cross-shaft of medieval times due to the weathering it would have endured over the centuries.

GCAT has since responded to Mr Caulkett dismissing his theory, saying the discovery is more likely to be part of a more modern agricultural building.

A trust spokesperson said: “The trust is happy to receive information, including photographs, about historic features from members of the public and we do our best to respond to enquiries about such features, drawing on expertise from colleagues both inside and outside the organisation.

“In this case there were discrepancies between the appearance of the stone on the supplied photographs and that of known medieval crosses, and we were therefore unable to confirm that it was a cross”.

Mr Caulkett’s photographs are now being examined by an expert in medieval sculpture to confirm the stone’s identity.

The Beacon recently reported how Monmouth archaeologist Steve Clark’s discovery of a 5,000-year-old boat was at first ruled out as significant by GCAT. He appealed to Cadw and GGAT to stop disparaging the work of local archaeologists and to “cooperate with them for the sake of the heritage of Wales”.