The church at Irton was entirely rebuilt in the Victorian period, but in its churchyard is the 9th century Irton Cross. This is one of the only complete examples in the country of a free-standing, richly-decorated tall crossCross Instrument of torture and execution used in the Roman Empire. The means by which Christ was put to death and therefore the primary symbol of the Christian faith, representing the means by which he is believed to have won forgiveness for humankind. The Cross may be represented as Tau-shaped (like a capital T); with a shorter cross-bar or with a circle enclosing the upper intersection (Celtic). In medieval art a cross made of living branches signifies the Tree of Life. St Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, is said to have discovered the True Cross (i.e. the Cross in Jerusalem on which Christ died) in 326. from this early period. The decoration is mostly of interlaced patterns. The cross may have been associated with an early churchEarly Church Usually applied to the first three centuries of the development of Christianity from the Crucifixion of Christ to c. 325 (the Council of Nicea). or preaching site.