Wickhambrook War Memorial

First World War memorial, 1924, with Second World War additions. It was designed by Charles W Waymouth of London and executed by Messrs Farmer and Brindley of London. In the later C20, between 1958 and 1978, it was moved to its present location at the centre of the village cemetery.

MATERIALS: Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises an elaborately carved Latin cross with a tapering, octagonal shaft. The shaft rises from a deep, tapering, octagonal plinth which stands on a three-stepped base.

The First World War dedicatory inscription is in incised leaded lettering on the front (north-west) face of the plinth, beneath a shallow relief carving of the arms of Edward the Confessor. It reads: IN GRATEFUL / MEMORY / OF THE MEN OF / WICKHAMBROOK / WHO LAID DOWN THEIR / LIVES IN THE / GREAT WAR / 1914 -1918.

Carved in shallow relief on the plinth is a verse from Revelations 2:10 which reads: BE THOU / FAITHFUL UNTO / DEATH [names] on the south-west face; AND I WILL GIVE / THEE' [names] on the south-east face; ETERNAL LIFE [names] on the north-east face. The latter face also bears the inscription: THE NUMBER OF MEN / FROM THIS PARISH / WHO SERVED WAS 134.

The Second World War dedication is inscribed on the north-west (front) face of the stepped based and reads: 1939 - 1945 on the top step with the names of the six men who died being inscribed on the middle step. On the bottom step is the inscription: THE MEMORIAL TO THESE MEN IS IN THE VILLAGE HALL / NEAR THIS PLACE.