Summary

First World War memorial, designed by E T May, FRIBA, unveiled on 13 March 1921.

Description

MATERIALS: Doulting stone.

DESCRIPTION: Woolhampton War Memorial is located in St Peter’s churchyard. It consists of a Latin cross surmounting an octagonal shaft rising from a square plinth.

On three sides of the memorial the lettering is inscribed onto the face of the plinth, and on one side the lettering is in relief with a figure of a soldier and a sailor with arms reversed standing either side of the inscription, which reads: IN HONOUR / OF THE MEN / OF / WOOLHAMPTON / WHO DIED IN / THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1918 / AND THE / 1939 – 1945 WAR / (NAMES). Further names are inscribed on the other two faces and on the rear face of the plinth is a further inscription which reads: “THEY PASSED OUT / OF THE SIGHT OF / MEN BY THE PATH / OF DUTY AND SELF / SACRIFICE” / 1939 – 1945 WAR / (NAMES).

The plinth is set upon a square two-stepped base.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

One such memorial was raised at Woolhampton as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Woolhampton War Memorial was designed by E T May, FRIBA. It was unveiled 13 March 1921 by Brigadier-General E J Phipps Hornby who was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in South Africa, and who served as a Gunner-General throughout the Great War. The rector of the parish, the Rev H F Freeman, dedicated the memorial which commemorates the 15 local servicemen who died in the First World War.

Following the Second World War, four names of those who lost their lives in that war were also added.

In 2012 the memorial was conserved with the help of grant aid from the War Memorials Trust.

Reasons for Listing

Woolhampton War Memorial, unveiled on 13 March 1921, 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 community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a simple yet striking memorial cross;
* Group value: with the Church of St Peter (Grade II).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66477808

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

• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5