Summary

First World War memorial, erected in 1922 and designed by the London Necropolis Company Ltd.

Description

War memorial, erected in 1922 and designed by the London Necropolis Company Ltd.

MATERIALS: Cornish granite.

DESCRIPTION: rough-hewn Cornish granite Celtic cross with a tapering, square-section shaft. The cross is supported by a tapering base on a single-stepped rectangular plinth. A stylized sword, point down, is carved in low relief on the front face of the cross. The cross-guard of the sword is aligned with the arms of the cross. A carved panel on the front face of the base bears the inscription: "LEST WE FORGET"/ TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN THE HONOURED MEMORY/ OF THOSE OF OUR FORCES/ WHO PASSED THIS SPOT/ AND WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR THE COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1918.

The memorial is located in the centre of a small green at the junction of Bagshot Road and Berry Lane, close to Fox Corner, Pirbright.

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 the country. The huge impact on communities of the loss of three-quarters of a million British lives, along with the official policy of not repatriating the dead, meant that memorials became the main focus of remembrance.

One such memorial was erected between Bridley Manor and Fox Corner in Pirbright as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by troops stationed at nearby Bullswater and Pirbright Camps who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial marks the spot that thousands of men who trained at the camps would have passed by on their way to the front.

The site on which the memorial stands was gifted by Captain T W Craig. The memorial was designed by the London Necropolis Company Ltd and funded by Mr and Mrs Cecil Braithwaite, the occupants of Bridley Manor. It was unveiled by Major-General Sir Richard H K Butler on 7 January 1922.

The memorial was knocked over by a vehicle in 1954 but was re-erected by the original makers. It was repaired once more in 1977, and fully restored by Woking Borough Council in 1994 with a rededication service taking place on 12 November that year.

Reasons for Listing

Bridley Manor War Memorial, 1922, designed by the London Necropolis Company Ltd, 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 a simple but well-crafted example of a popular form of First World War memorial designed by the locally-based London Necropolis Company Ltd.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q68917076

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.

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