Summary

First World War memorial, 1922, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

The war memorial stands at the intersection of footpaths in the south-eastern part of Banbury People’s Park, at the centre of a paved area surrounded by flower beds. The tall memorial is built of Portland stone. It consists of a wheel-head cross on a tapering shaft. The shaft rises from a square, tapering, plinth. The plinth stands on a two-stepped octagonal base. The top of the lower step of the base forms a slightly projecting shelf for the placement of floral tributes.

The inscription carved into the front face of the plinth reads IN/ HONOURED MEMORY/ OF THE/ 325 MEN AND 1 WOMAN/ OF THE/ BOROUGH OF BANBURY/ WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES. An inscription on the rear face reads “LEST WE FORGET”/ THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918. In addition, an inscription on a third face of the plinth reads ALSO/ TO THE MEMORY/ OF/ THOSE WHO FELL/ IN /THE 1939 – 1945 WAR. All inscriptions are incised and painted with black enamel.

The memorial is surrounded by paving and ornamental railings forming an octagonal enclosure.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. 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.

History

Banbury People’s Park was opened in 1919 as part of the peace celebrations following the end of the First World War. The war memorial standing in the south-eastern part of the park was erected in 1922. A further inscription was added after the Second World War in remembrance of those who fell in that conflict.

Reasons for Listing

Banbury War Memorial, situated in The People’s Park, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic Interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design interest: a substantial and well-proportioned Celtic cross.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26677502

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)