Summary

First World War memorial, designed by W.D Caröe, with Second World War additions.

Description

MATERIALS: Doulting Stone cross, Blue Lias foundations, limestone retaining wall and plaque, bronze plaque.

DESCRIPTION: Membury War Memorial consists of a Latin cross standing over 5m tall. The arms of the cross are octagonal in profile and rise from a tapered octagonal shaft. The shaft is set upon an octagonal plinth with rounded corners which is set upon a square two-stepped base.

To the front of the war memorial is a limestone retaining wall which holds a stone dedication tablet which bears the inscription in incised, ornate lettering and reads IN MEMORY OF/ THE SACRIFICES MADE/ DURING THE GREAT WAR/ AUGUST 1914 NOVEMBER 1918/ BY THIS SIGN THOU SHALT/ CONQUER.

A bronze plaque on the memorial is dedicated to those who fell in the Second World War which reads 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES).

History

The topic of a war memorial at Membury was first discussed at a meeting held in March 1919. At this time three schemes were considered: a memorial cross, memorial bells and a clubroom. At the meeting it was determined that the schemes to provide a memorial cross and an extension to the existing clubroom would be pursued with a public subscription allowing contributors to assign their gift to one or other project.

The memorial was designed by ecclesiastical architect W.D Caröe (1857-1938). Caröe had previously undertaken some work for Membury church and so the vicar, Rev Langdon recommended him to the committee to design the war memorial.

Caröe had been appointed as an architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, becoming Senior Architect in 1895. A member of the Art Workers’ Guild, he ran a very successful London practice, winning both ecclesiastical and secular commissions. In addition to architectural work, he also designed a number of important church monuments, including those to Archbishop Temple in Canterbury Cathedral, Bishop Owen in St David’s Cathedral, Bishop Ridding in Southwell Cathedral, and Bishop Satterlee and Bishop Harding in Washington Cathedral, USA.

The memorial was built by Ham Hill and Doulting Stone Co Ltd of Norton-sub-Hamdon, Somerset and erected by local masons R Woolcott and J Denlow. The Blue Lias stone which forms the foundation was a local stone quarried from the now-closed Tolcis quarry close to Membury and it was gifted by Mr T Swain and the materials were hauled by parishioners free of charge.

The dedication of the memorial took place in March 1920 by Rev F Langdon.

In 2010 the memorial was repaired and conserved with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust.

Reasons for Listing

Membury War Memorial 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: a simple yet striking Latin cross;
* Designer: by the ecclesiastical architect W.D Caröe;
* Group value: with the Church of St John the Baptist (Grade I).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478022

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

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  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
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  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)