Memorials & monuments · South West England
Wayside Cross
In or near Cainscross.
Wayside Cross is a memorial in the United Kingdom.
Jaggery — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 15 min–45 min
- Nearest railway station
- Stroud · 4.1 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
About
Wayside Cross is a public memorial in Gloucestershire, the West Midlands, recording local sacrifice and named in the parish register of war and civic monuments. The site is within the Cotswolds National Landscape (AONB). It sits within the Stroud parliamentary constituency. The nearest railway station is Stroud, about 4.1 km away. Postcode area GL5.
Photo gallery
360° viewimagery from 2026
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Official information
The Wayside Cross is a historic war memorial located in Woodchester, Gloucestershire, built between 1916 and 1917. It serves as a place of remembrance for those who fell during the Great War, attracting visitors from across Britain and beyond for commemorative ceremonies.
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cotswolds
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
A wayside cross is a cross by a footpath, track or road, at an intersection, along the edge of a field or in a forest. It can be made of wood, stone or metal. Stone crosses may also be conciliation crosses. Often they serve as waymarks for walkers and pilgrims or designate dangerous places.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Wayside crosses spread mainly in the 17th century in Italy. Most of them were erected in previous centuries by the local population as a sign of their faith. Several of them were put up at places where an accident or a crime took place. The custom of placing an "accident cross" at spots on the roadside where people have been killed has, meanwhile, spread worldwide. Special forms of cross are the conciliation cross and the plague cross. Many wayside crosses, however, simply act as waymarks to indicate difficult or dangerous spots or to mark intersections. On walking maps, wayside crosses and shrines are displayed in order to aid orientation. On many crosses there is an inscription which may…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.7082, -2.2291
- County
- Gloucestershire
- District
- Stroud
- Parish
- Minchinhampton
- Postcode
- GL5 5EZ
- Parliamentary constituency
- Stroud
- Nearest railway station
- Stroud — 4.1 km
- Official site
- www.thewaysidecross.co.uk
Sources
- osm: n10914322200 (ODbL)
- wikipedia: Wayside cross (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Wayside Cross?
- Wayside Cross is in Gloucestershire, the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode GL5 5EZ), in the parish of Minchinhampton.
- What is Wayside Cross?
- Wayside Cross is a memorial in the United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Wayside Cross?
- The nearest railway station is Stroud, about 4.1 km away. Drivers can use postcode GL5 5EZ.
- Is Wayside Cross a protected site?
- Yes — Wayside Cross is part of the Cotswolds National Landscape (AONB).
- Is Wayside Cross free to visit?
- Yes, Wayside Cross is free to enter.
- How do I get to Wayside Cross?
- The nearest railway station is Stroud, about 4.1 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode GL5 5EZ.