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Meenfield

Meenfield war memorial cross is a landscape feature in Shoreham in Kent. A cross has been carved into the chalk hillside of the Darent Valley in the North Downs above the village. There is a stone tablet at the head of the cross.

In 2005 War Memorials Trust gave £250 towards conservation of the war memorial. Weed infestation and lack of paint had caused the cross to fade. The grant went towards weeding and soft landscaping the area to ensure the cross was visible on the hillside.

The inscription on the stone tablet at the head of the cross reads 

To the great creator
in gratitude
for all those men of
Shoreham
who lost their lives
in the 1914-1918 war
and in 1939-1945

The idea of cutting the cross into the chalk was put forward by the vicar, Mr Madge, who had lost his brother in the First World War. A memorial service, at which the first turf was cut for the memorial, was held on Empire Day, Monday 24th May 1920. Starting off in the village, the Shoreham United Brass Band played Lest We Forget and then the people of Shoreham climbed the hill. Mr Madge conducted the service, explaining that the people had wanted the memorial to be something very simple and close to nature. He said that it was fitting that the chosen ground overlooked the village from which the men had gone and where they had earned the right to be always remembered. In 1956 the cross was rededicated and in 2005 it was a focal point of the village celebration to mark 60 years since the end of World War II.

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM1534
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 146

If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on conservation@warmemorials.org

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