LONDON, March 5 (Xinhua) -- A search started Monday across England to find secret, hidden and forgotten statues, shrines and artworks created by the public as memorials.

Cultural custodians, Historic England has asked the public to share their knowledge of the memorials, saying many are likely to be heroic, quirky, sad, inspirational and challenging monuments, street shrines, and community tributes in public places, said Historic England.

The memorials, the agency added, could be murals and shrines, statues and even inscriptions on benches and trees.

It is part of a project, called Immortalised, to help explore who and how people in England have remembered people and events.

Research carried out as part of the initiative has revealed that 1 in seven women and 1 in 10 men have created their own memorials.

Historic England said: "We want to hear about lesser-known memorials, and those that are well-loved by small groups or communities but unknown nationally."

The agency is also looking for rituals and activities attached to memorials. The public's stories and pictures will be recorded to form part of an exhibition this fall.

Duncan Wilson, CEO of Historic England, said: "We are creatures of memory, and every generation has commemorated people in the built environment. Their stories may involve episodes of heroism or generosity and be inspirational, or they may involve episodes which are shameful by today's standards. They all tell us something about the lives of our ancestors. This is a terrifically important subject and that's why we have launched the Immortalised season."

He said Historic England wants to work with the public to identify and record information about what's embedded in British streets, squares and parks.