Murton and New York Cross war memorial restored before Remembrance Day by North Tyneside Council

The Murton and New York Cross, on Murton Lane, commemorates the sacrifices of local people during the First World War.

The sandstone Celtic cross was restored in November 2019 after cracks in the 101 year old monument began to appear.

But when Storm Arwen struck last November, the high winds removed the Grade II listed monument from its plinth and broke it into several pieces.

The council has now repaired and reinstated the monument again.

But the slate plaque on which the names of 68 local men who perished in the war are inscribed was also damaged by the falling cross, and this will not be fully restored until the new year.

North Tyneside’s elected mayor Norma Redfearn said: “It was very upsetting to see the damage caused to the cross by Storm Arwen, especially after all the work that went into its restoration the first time.

“There were serious doubts about whether it could be repaired again so I am delighted that we have found a way, working with local conservation experts and the War Memorials Trust.

“It is only right that the cross was repaired so that the memory of those who lost their lives in the war endures for future generations.

“We are exploring ways to restore the memorials on Hawkey’s Lane in North Shields, another in Dudley, and the Boer War memorial in Tynemouth.

An annual cleaning programme has also been ongoing to ensure other memorials in the borough are ready for Remembrance Day services.