Tilehurst War Memorial

MATERIALS: limestone with bronze plaques.

DESCRIPTION: Tilehurst War Memorial is located at The Triangle, Tilehurst and it consists of a wheel-head cross. The cross rises from a tapering square shaft with crenelated cap. The shaft rises from a two-stepped square plinth on a three-stepped base.

The faces of the plinth have bronze plaques fixed to each face and there are subsequent plaques on the two upper steps. The top section of the plinth is a shallow step with bronze plaques fixed to each face which read: TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN/ HONOURED MEMORY OF THE MEN OF/ TILEHURST WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918. The faces of the plinth have bronze plaques with lists of the names of the fallen with a raised wreath detail at the base.

Two further plaques are located on the front faces of the steps. The first commemorates the fallen of the Second World War: THIS MEMORIAL ALSO COMMEMORATES THE MEN AND WOMEN/ OF TILEHURST/ WHO DIED IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945/ WHOSE NAMES ARE IN THE BOOK OF LIFE (PHILIPPIANS, 4.3.). The plaque on the second step reads: THIS MEMORIAL IS ALSO DEDICATED/ TO THE MEMORY OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE/ FALLEN IN THE DEFENCE OF FREEDOM AND/ DEMOCRACY SINCE THE TWO WORLD WARS. Subsequent plaques are located on the other faces of the steps with lists of the fallen.

The base of the memorial is protected by eight low stone posts.