Beer War Memorial Cross, including steps, railings and gate to front

The granite memorial cross stands outside the Church of St Michael’s (Grade II-listed), at the junction of Fore Street and Church Hill and opposite the Grade II-listed Conduit Head. It takes the form of a 6m tall cross, with a floriated cross head. The cross shaft rises from a pedestal, square on plan, which stands on a three-stepped, octagonal, base. In front of the memorial cross the churchyard walls are cut back, interrupted by a stepped enclosure demarcated from the road by railings with a gate.

The principal dedicatory inscription, in applied metal letters to the front face of the pedestal, reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN/ PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THE GALLANT MEN/ FROM THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WARS/ 1914 – 1919/ 1939 – 1945. The commemorated First World War names are listed on the sides of the pedestal. The front face of the upper step of the base reads “THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD”. The Second World War names are recorded on the middle stage of the base.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 2 March 2017.