'The Cross': a hill-figure war memorial at Lenham

'The Cross', a hill-figure war memorial, of 1922, designed by Mr C H Groom and unveiled by Major-General Sir Arthur Lynden-Bell KCB KCMG DL JP.

MATERIALS: the memorial is constructed of compacted chalk on a natural chalk base.

DESCRIPTION: the hill-figure memorial, which is in the form of a chalk Latin cross, is carved into the south-facing slope of the North Downs, just north of 'The Pilgrims Way' trackway overlooking the village of Lenham, Kent. The cross measures approximately 61.5m north-south and 21.6m east-west.

A separate enclosure which contained the original memorial stone, 27m south of the cross, has iron railings set on low stone walls. Inside there are six steps leading to a terrace with a wooden bench fixed to a concrete base.

A memorial plaque affixed to the gate of the railed enclosure is inscribed and reads: THE WHITE CROSS/ ON THE HILL/ COMMEMORATES THE DEAD OF THE TWO WORLD WARS/ THE MEMORIAL STONE WITHIN THIS ENCLOSURE WAS REMOVED TO THE CHURCHYARD/ IN 1960/ THE SEAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE PEOPLE/ OF LENHAM BY THE ASHFORD BRANCH OF THE/ REME ASSOCIATION TO COMMEMORATE THEIR CLOSE/ LINKS WITH THE MEMORIAL WAS PRESENTED/ IN 1977. (The last sentence is partly illegible).

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 11 January 2018.