Wootton Peace Memorial

First World War memorial, 1920.

MATERIALS: Somerset stone, bronze, stone.

DESCRIPTION: Wootton War Memorial is located to the south-west corner of St Mary’s churchyard overlooking Church Street. It is in close proximity to the Church of St Mary (Grade II*-listed), School Cottages (Grade II-listed) and several Grade II-listed chest tombs.

The memorial is of Somerset stone and takes the form of a square block sundial with a bronze gnomon to the south face and a Latin cross incised into the north face. The sundial has a moulded base and cap, which is surmounted by a globe. This crowns a tapering octagonal shaft, which rises from a chamfered octagonal base upon a square plinth with chamfered top corners and moulded foot. The whole is atop a three-stepped, square base of coursed stone. Plaques are affixed to the south face of the top and middle step of the base.

To the base of the shaft, incised into the south face, is the inscription: PRO PATRIA/ 1914 – 1919. Directly below incised to the plinth are the words: AS THE SUNNY HOURS DIRECT OUR THOUGHTS ABOVE/ SO THE LIVES OF VALIANT MEN/ LEAD US TO HIM WHO IS THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 1 September 2017.