The concept of the cross was the idea of a Shoreham man, Samuel Cheeseman, two of whose sons had been killed on active duty during the First World War.

[3] The site was donated by a local landowner, Francis Mildmay, who cut the first turf on Empire Day, 24 May 1920.

[a][3] On Remembrance Sunday Samuel Cheeseman would drag a small cannon to the cross and fire salvos to mark the beginning and the end of the Two-minute silence.

[5] By the early 21st century the sightline from the church to the cross had been blocked by trees, but the view was restored by felling in 2010.

[7] It is 30m long and 18m wide, the left hand bar being slightly longer than the right to correct the perspective when viewed from the village.