History in Structure

Weedon War Memorial

A Grade II Listed Building in Weedon, Buckinghamshire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.8556 / 51°51'20"N

Longitude: -0.8186 / 0°49'6"W

OS Eastings: 481464

OS Northings: 218103

OS Grid: SP814181

Mapcode National: GBR D2B.PVK

Mapcode Global: VHDTY.RMMC

Plus Code: 9C3XV54J+6H

Entry Name: Weedon War Memorial

Listing Date: 22 December 2015

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1431825

ID on this website: 101431825

Location: Weedon Methodist Church, Weedon, Buckinghamshire, HP22

County: Buckinghamshire

Civil Parish: Weedon

Built-Up Area: Weedon

Traditional County: Buckinghamshire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Buckinghamshire

Church of England Parish: Hardwick

Church of England Diocese: Oxford

Tagged with: Memorial

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Summary


First World War memorial, 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description


The memorial stands alongside Weedon Methodist Church. Built of Clipsham stone, it comprises a Latin cross embellished with carved Gothic features including fleur-de-lis extending from the intersection of the cross arms. The moulded cross foot rises from a tall octagonal shaft that stands on a chamfered octagonal plinth. The plinth stands on two octagonal steps on a broad octagonal base. The base has a shallow cornice for the laying of floral tributes.

The front face of the plinth bears an inscription that reads 1914 – 1918/ + TO THE/ GLORY OF/ GOD & IN/ MEMORY OF/ THOSE WHO LAID DOWN THEIR/ LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR. The top step carries the names of those 12 men who died in the First World War. These inscriptions are all incised and carved in a Celtic style typeface.

In addition, two small brass plaques mounted on wooden backs are attached to the plinth, one of which reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ & IN MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918, followed by a list of those who died in the First World War. The second plaque reads SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945, followed by a list of those who died.

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.

History


The villages of Weedon and Hardwick fall within the same ecclesiastical parish, and so a joint scheme for war memorials was conceived by the organising committee led by Reverend HB Walton. The design, by an Oxford-based architect, was carried out by Messrs Newman and Harper of Aylesbury. Identical crosses were erected at a cost of £390, of which £345 was raised by public subscription in the two villages. As well as these two crosses, the firm of Newman and Harper was responsible for the construction of a number of war memorials in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.

The memorial cross in Weedon was unveiled by Miss Heap, a local resident, and dedicated on 5 May 1921, one week after the unveiling of the cross in Hardwick. The same order of service was followed as at the Hardwick ceremony, led by Reverend BE Hawkins, the Wesleyan minister.

Following the end of the Second World War a plaque was added to the plinth commemorating those who fell in that conflict. Conservation and repair work was carried out in 2014, funded by War Memorials Trust. This included piecing in matching stone to missing stonework.

Reasons for Listing


Weedon War Memorial, situated at the Wesleyan Chapel on Abbotts Road, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic Interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: an elegant cross in the medieval style.

External Links

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