War Memorial Cross and Wall Plaque, Amersham, Buckinghamshire

Entry Name: War Memorial Cross and Wall Plaque

Listing Date: 26 April 2010

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1393763

English Heritage Legacy ID: 507685

ID on this website: 101393763

Location: Amersham Old Town, Buckinghamshire, HP7

County: Buckinghamshire

Civil Parish: Amersham

Built-Up Area: Amersham

Traditional County: Buckinghamshire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Buckinghamshire

Church of England Parish: Amersham with Coleshill

Church of England Diocese: Oxford

Tagged with: War memorial

Description

AMERSHAM

166/0/10014 THE BROADWAY
26-APR-10 (North side)
War memorial cross and wall plaque

II
War memorials for World War I (1921 by Philip M Johnstone) and World War II (1949, designer unknown).

DESCRIPTION: The World War I memorial is of Portland stone and consists of an ornate floreate cross bearing a figure of Christ on a tall slender shaft with chamfered edges containing a foliate design and topped by an octagonal capital with floral carvings. The shaft surmounts a square plinth with chamfered corners and octagonal top section supported by a two-step base, the larger lower step having blind Gothic style tracery. The whole is enclosed by a low free-standing moulded Portland stone surround on a paved surface. An inter-war photograph of the memorial in its original location shows the surround to have been an original feature of the design.

The incised inscription on the south face of the plinth in a Gothic script reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF THE/ MEN OF AMERSHAM WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE/ GREAT WAR FOR FREEDOM. Above this at the foot of the shaft is the date A.D./ 1914-19. The names of the 80 fallen of World War I are recorded on the remaining sides of the plinth.

Just to the north of the World War I memorial is the rectangular bronze plaque, set into a projection of the brick boundary wall (the listing includes the projection but not the remainder of the boundary wall), commemorating the fallen of World War II. The inscription reads: THIS GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE IS LAID OUT/ IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THOSE FROM THIS/ PARISH WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/ IN THE WORLD WAR 1939-1945 with the names of the 60 fallen below.

HISTORY: Amersham War Memorial was dedicated on 10 July 1921 by the Lord Bishop of Buckingham and unveiled by Brigadier-General RJ Cooper on a site just to the south-east of St Mary's Church. The memorial was designed by a local architect, Philip M Johnstone, who had earlier designed the war memorial in Tring, and built by The Art Memorial company. In 1949 the memorial was relocated to a new Garden of Remembrance, laid out to the east of the church and which included, as well as the World War II memorial plaque, a pool with a fountain and a pavilion. This was opened by General Sir Bernard Paget.

SOURCES:
United Kingdom National Inventory of War Memorials - References 8116 and 8117

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The World War I and World War II war memorials in the Amersham Garden of Remembrance are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: The World War I memorial is an ornate example of the oft-used market cross style of memorial with well executed Arts and Crafts influenced floral and Gothic tracery detailing;
* Historic Interest: as poignant reminders of the tragic impact of world events on this community.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 11 January 2017.

Reasons for Listing

The World War I and World War II war memorials in the Amersham Garden of Remembrance is listed for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: The World War I memorial is an ornate example of the oft-used market cross style of memorial with well executed Arts and Crafts influenced floral and Gothic tracery detailing;
* Historic interest: as poignant reminders of the tragic impact of world events on this community.

External Links

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