The Countess' Cross is a Grade II listed building in the North West Leicestershire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 16 January 1989. Memorial cross.

The Countess' Cross

WRENN ID
keen-trefoil-mist
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
North West Leicestershire
Constituency
North West Leicestershire MP: Amanda Hack (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
16 January 1989
Type
Memorial cross
Address
The Countess' Cross, Castle Donington
OS grid reference
SK 416 271
Coordinates
52.83983, -1.38316
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Countess's Cross is a memorial cross built in 1874, made of ashlar stone. It features a Celtic cross set on a high rusticated pedestal, which is surrounded at the base by large boulders arranged to resemble a hand. The inscription on the cross notes that the right hand of Edith, the 10th Countess of Loudon, is buried at this site. According to tradition, the Countess intended to influence the management of the estate after her death and to safeguard it from her brother's extravagant lifestyle by burying her right hand here, in a location that overlooks much of the park.

Local climate

The Countess' Cross sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 730 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 77% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 72% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 37 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 69% of listed buildings. Of these, 18 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

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