Peace Cross, Woolton

First World War memorial commemorating the peace of Armistice Day, around 1919, designed by Robert Gladstone.

MATERIALS: red sandstone

DESCRIPTION: the cross is located just outside the churchyard of the Church of St Peter alongside Church Road and is aligned with the church's east window. It is constructed of red sandstone set upon a rectangular plinth and has a Celtic cross design with carved Art Nouveau foliate decoration on both the front and rear faces that winds up to the cross head. The lower part of the decoration with its simple foliage represents pleasant and normal times in life before war. This then changes to a crown of thorns representing the agony and horror of war, which in turn becomes flower buds arranged around the top of the cross that represent the possibilities offered by peace. Below the carved decoration on each front and rear face is large relief lettering that reads 'PEACE', and at the base of each face is the inscribed date '11 November 1918'.