The British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer
The British Normandy Memorial stands on the Mont Fleury heights above Gold Beach, just outside Ver-sur-Mer, and records the names of 22,442 men and women under British command who died between June 6 and August 31, 1944, on D-Day and through the Battle of Normandy. They came from more than 30 countries, and this is the only place in Normandy where all of their names stand together. The memorial opened on June 6, 2021, entry is free, and the grounds stay open all year. From the columns you look straight down onto Gold Beach, where many of the first names on the stone died on the first morning, with the remains of the Mulberry harbour at Arromanches visible along the coast to the west.
The Names
The names run in chronological order of death along the 160 stone columns of the memorial’s central pergola, beginning with June 6. Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, and Special Operations Executive personnel appear together, alongside soldiers from across the Commonwealth and beyond who fought under British command. David Williams-Ellis’s bronze sculpture of three infantrymen coming ashore stands at the center of the site. A separate French Memorial honors the civilians of Normandy who died in the summer of 1944.
Mont Fleury and the Only D-Day Victoria Cross
The memorial stands on ground fought over the first morning. On June 6, 1944, Company Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis of the Green Howards attacked two German positions at the Mont Fleury battery, took them, and captured about 30 soldiers. He received the only Victoria Cross awarded for actions on D-Day itself. Interpretive stones along the path from the visitor building tell the campaign in sequence as you walk toward the columns.
Standing with Giants
Through September 19, 2026, the Standing with Giants installation fills the slope between the memorial and the beach: life-size soldier silhouettes, first installed for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Walk down among them before or after your time at the columns.
The Winston Churchill Centre
King Charles III inaugurated the Winston Churchill Centre on June 6, 2024, the 80th anniversary of the landings. The building holds two galleries, an education room, a shop, and a café, and hosts the memorial’s schools program. In 2026 the Centre is open from April 18 to October 4, daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, with free entry. The building closes for the winter; the memorial grounds stay open all year.
Visiting
Entry to the memorial is free. Parking costs €4.50 for cars and €12 for coaches, and the fee funds the site’s upkeep. Allow about 90 minutes for the columns, the sculpture, and the view over the beach. A free app from the Normandy Memorial Trust, on britishnormandymemorial.org, adds an interactive map, audio guides, and the stories behind many of the names; download it before you arrive.
Getting There
The memorial sits off the D514 coastal road between Arromanches and Courseulles-sur-Mer, ten minutes by car from Arromanches and 30 minutes from Bayeux. The address for navigation is 13 Avenue Paul Poret, 14114 Ver-sur-Mer. Without a car, Nomad bus line 121 links Bayeux and Courseulles through Ver-sur-Mer all year, and from July 5 to August 31, 2026, the daily coastal line 125 stops at Ver-sur-Mer on its run along Omaha, Gold, and Juno beaches. For travelers based in the capital, the LinkParis.com Normandy tour from Paris makes the D-Day coast a one-day trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the British Normandy Memorial free?
Yes. Entry costs nothing, all year. Parking is €4.50 for cars and €12 for coaches, and the fee goes toward the upkeep of the site.
When is the Winston Churchill Centre open in 2026?
From April 18 to October 4, 2026, daily from 10 am to 6 pm, with free entry. The memorial grounds themselves stay open year-round.
Whose names are on the memorial?
The 22,442 men and women under British command who died on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy, from June 6 to August 31, 1944. They came from more than 30 countries. A separate French Memorial on the site honors Normandy’s civilian dead.
How long does a visit take?
About 90 minutes covers the columns, the sculpture, and the view over Gold Beach. Add time for the Standing with Giants silhouettes on the slope below, in place until September 19, 2026.
How do you get to the memorial without a car?
Nomad bus line 121 links Bayeux and Courseulles-sur-Mer through Ver-sur-Mer all year, and the summer coastal line 125 stops at Ver-sur-Mer daily from July 5 to August 31, 2026.