The Kirknewton Parish Cross is slightly hidden away on the south eastern edge of the village, behind a low stone wall with a slightly overgrown hedge. It is hard to miss, which is a shame as it is the memorial to those from the parish who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars.
The memorial itself is red sandstone and has a two stepped base with a plinth, pedestal and tapering shaft with what is known as a foliated cross on the top. It was designed by the Alnwick Architects, Reavell and Tebbs and carved by G. Pattersons and Sons of Braxton, and the craftsman who produced it was actually wounded twice in the First World War!
It was unveiled on the 9th June 1921 by Maj. Gen. Sir James Babington, K.C.B., although sadly over the last 100 years it has become weathered and worn leaving the inscription hard to read. The main stone plinth has the dedication on the front, with the names of those lost along with the year, their rank and regiment listed on the side panels. The dedication reads;
KIRKNEWTON PARISH
IN MEMORY
OF
THOSE WHO FELL IN THE WARS
1914 - 1918
1939 - 1945
The front of the top step contains the following quotation;
GOD ASKED OF BRITAIN'S HOMES A COSTLY SACRIFICE
AND THESE UNGRUDGING PAID THE PRICE
The cross is a Grade II listed building and in 2013 donations helped to pay for a plaque to be installed nearby which provided a full transcript of the inscriptions. There are a total of 40 people listed on the cross, 31 were lost during World War I, while 9 were lost during World War II.