Beddington and Wallington War Memorial

MATERIALS: Portland stone pillar with bronze plaques. Base of blue Staffordshire engineering bricks.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial consists of a tapering pillar rising from a rectangular plinth standing on a single-stepped base. The carvings on the memorial are in Art Deco style: a cross is carved in low relief on the front of the pillar, the relief deepening as the pillar narrows towards the top and the base of the pillar bears a carved sunburst design.

Bronze plaques, which carry the First World War names and the dedications, are set into recessed panels upon the faces of the plinth. On one plaque the principal dedicatory inscription reads 1914 – 1918/ TO THE/ GLORIOUS MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF/ BEDDINGTON/ AND/ WALLINGTON/ WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ THEY DIED THAT WE/ MIGHT LIVE. A further three plaques carry the names of the fallen with one small plaque bearing a further name.

Another bronze dedication plaque was added after the Second World War and reads 1939 – 1945/ TO THE MEMORY/ OF THE MEN, WOMEN/ AND CHILDREN/ OF THIS BOROUGH/ WHO LOST THEIR LIVES/ IN THE SECOND/ WORLD WAR/ AND WHOSE NAMES/ ARE RECORDED IN THE/ BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE. Another smaller plaque on one side of the base of the pillar carries the names.