The author surveys stone crosses and timber lychgates found across England and Wales, documenting their forms, uses, and historical development. He offers an original classification based on anatomical form and structure, grouping examples into types such as monoliths, shaft-on-steps, spire-shaped (Eleanor) crosses, preaching crosses, market crosses, and other varieties, while treating lychgates in a separate section. The text combines descriptive analysis with illustrative plates, a topographical list of examples, and a bibliography, and discusses the suitability of traditional designs for contemporary memorial needs.