Summary

War memorial cross, 1919, by Farmer and Brindley.

Description

War memorial cross, 1919 by Farmer and Brindley.

MATERIALS: the memorial is constructed from Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: a Celtic cross with a tapering square shaft, standing upon a tapering plinth with two steps. The head of the cross has a relief moulding of an interweaving Celtic pattern. The plinth has incised, painted inscriptions; on the south-west facing side: ‘IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO WENT / OUT FROM BURLEY AND FELL / GALLANTLY IN DEFENCE OF THEIR / COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-18 / “THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE” /ERECTED BY COL. FRANK WILLAN AND HIS / WIFE AS A TOKEN OF THEIR GRATITUDE / TO GOD FOR THE PRESERVATION OF TWO / SONS AND A SON-IN-LAW IN THE ARMY WHO / SERVED IN FRANCE DURING THE WAR’, with the names, ranks and regiments of the fallen on the north-west and south-east sides. Inscribed on the north-east facing side is ‘1939-1945 WAR’ with the names and regiments of 21 men. A small inscription on the south-east face states the name of the masons, Farmer and Brindley. The cross stands on a paved square base and is enclosed by a chain fence with three tapering square posts on each side.

History

The great wave of memorial building in the years following the First World War honoured the many thousands of troops lost, marking the great impact of the international conflict at a local level. Memorials provided a focal point for grieving communities, whose dead were often not repatriated.

The memorial at Burley is one such example, erected on a crossing in the centre of the village. The inscription on the base of the cross explains that it was erected by Colonel Frank Willan and his wife as a token of their ‘gratitude to God for the preservation of two sons and a son-in-law in the army who served in France during the war’.

The memorial was erected by Farmer and Brindley, a prominent firm of architectural masons and carvers whose work features on a number of notable buildings, including the Natural History Museum. They supplied a number of First World War memorials, including that at nearby Hinton.

The memorial was added to following the Second World War.

Reasons for Listing

Burley War Memorial, 1919, 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 well-executed cruciform design, enriched with relief mouldings.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q55707422

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

• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)