Summary

War Memorial formed of limestone. It consists of a large square platform with four steps and a plinth surmounted by a cenotaph in the form of a pylon with a gabled cornice and Celtic wheel cross.

Description

A limestone cenotaph, unveiled in 1921 and altered in 1949, located on Hastings Road, Pembury, situated close to the village green and Church of St Peter (Grade II*). The plinth is edged by low hedging and soft planting.

MATERIALS & PLAN: the monument is formed of limestone, and consists of a large square platform approached by four steps on its northern side. The central plinth is surmounted by a cenotaph in the form of a pylon. The top of this is punctuated by a gabled cornice detail on the northern side, with the cornice running around the pylon. A Celtic wheel cross, carved in relief, sits underneath the gabled cornice.

The top of the pylon bears the inscription '1914 - 1919' in inset lead lettering. The raised panel has the inscription 'DUTY HONOUR SELF-SACRIFICE' under which is a stone plaque commemorating those who fell in the First World War. Under this is inscribed '1939 - 1945', and below this is a second stone plaque commemorating those who fell in the Second World War. The sides and rear of the monument are bare.

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. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and the official policy of not repatriating the dead: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. The war memorial to the men of Pembury was erected near to the village green and church. It was unveiled and dedicated on 25 September 1921 by Reverend H Sinclair Brooke. The memorial was designed by architect Ashley S Kilby Esq.

It commemorates 49 local servicemen who died during the First World War. In 1949 a dedication was added to commemorate the 18 local servicemen who died during the Second World War.

In 2014 a grey granite plaque was placed in front of the memorial in relation to the centenary of the First World War. It has an engraved wreath and poppies at the centre and reads on the left hand side HONOURING/ THE MEN OF/ PEMBURY and on the right 1914 – 1918/ WITH PRIDE/ 2014.

The present two limestone plaques on the north front, facing the road, are replacements which were unveiled on 11 November 2018 with eight spelling corrections. The original brass plaques are to be installed outside Pembury School.

Reasons for Listing

The Men of Pembury War Memorial which stands adjacent to the main road through Pembury and near to the village green and church, 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:

* as an elegantly-proportioned memorial.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q97324480

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

• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version