Hewn from a single block of granite quarried from Haytor on Dartmoor, it stands just to the west of the cathedral, in alignment with the altar.

[1] Prior to the First World War, Lutyens established his reputation designing country houses for wealthy patrons, including Castle Drogo to the west of Exeter.

The Dean suggested that a cloister could be built at Exeter Cathedral, possibly containing a monument, to serve as a war memorial but the idea was abandoned early in 1919 due to a lack of funds.

[7] The committee was reliant on public donations and realised that it was unlikely to raise a large sum of money as communities across Devon would be focusing on their own commemorations and commissioning individual war memorials.

Despite this, the committee was determined to erect some sort of memorial to the county's war dead, and as a compromise sought a simple but elegant monument.

[2] It lies to the northwest of a metal cross, the steeple finial from the church of St Mary Major, Exeter, marking the former location of that building which was demolished in 1971.

[12] The memorial takes the form of a 30-foot (9.1-metre) granite cross, quarried from Haytor on Dartmoor, and hewn from a single stone—the largest Lutyens was able to acquire.

[1][2][13] The cross is formed of a tapering flattened hexagonal shaft to which chamfered arms, no wider than the base, are moulded close to the top.

The central tier of the base bears the inscription "THE COUNTY OF DEVON TO HER GLORIOUS DEAD / 1914–1919 / TE DEUM LAUDAMUS / 1939–1945".

[1][2][15] At the unveiling ceremony, Lord Fortescue gave a speech in which he estimated that 11,600 men and women from Devon had been killed while serving in the war.

[8] The names of the fallen were recorded on a roll of honour, of which three copies were made: one for Exeter Cathedral, one to be held by the county council, and one which the Prince of Wales placed in a hollow in the base of the war memorial.

[21] A set of metal railings—described by author Tim Skelton as "an unfortunate addition"—was erected around the foot of the memorial in 2006 in response to problems with vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

[22][23] On 16 April 2009, the memorial—including the processional way—was designated a grade II* listed building for its special architectural or historic interest, a status which provides legal protection from unauthorised demolition or modification.