29th Division War Memorial (formerly MONUMENT AT JUNCTION OF A45 AND FOSSE WAY)

The 29th Division War Memorial is located in a circular, gravelled area on the west side of the roundabout at the junction of the A45 and B4455. It features a 12-meter high tapering monolith made of Portland stone, topped with a square moulded urn finial with a crown. The monolith is set on a moulded and banded pedestal with a cornice. On the north face of the pedestal, there is a moulded panel with the following inscription:

HERE/ IN THE CENTRE OF ENGLAND/ WHERE TELFORD'S COACHING-ROAD/ FROM LONDON TO HOLYHEAD/ IS CROSSED BY THE ROMAN FOSSE WAY/ ON THE 12TH OF MARCH 1915/ HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V/ REVIEWED HIS TROOPS/ OF THE IMMORTAL/ XXIX DIVISION/ SHORTLY BEFORE THEY EMBARKED/ FOR ACTIVE SERVICE/ IN GALLIPOLI/ IN MEMORY OF THEIR STAY IN WARWICKSHIRE/ 1914-15 AND OF THEIR INCOMPARABLE SERVICES/ SINCE THE AVENUE ON THIS ROAD WAS REPLANTED/ AND THIS MONUMENT ERECTED BY/ INHABITANTS OF THE COUNTY.

Below the inscription is the Divisional symbol, painted red. The base of the memorial features descriptions of the Division’s order of battle on three sides.

Flanking the memorial is an avenue of lime trees, which originated in the early 18th century as the six-mile-long Dunchurch Avenue along the London Road (now the A45). There have been several re-plantings, including in 1920 and 1921 as part of the memorial to the 29th Division. Originally, two captured field guns were placed on either side of the memorial, but these were likely removed during the Second World War scrap drive.