Puttenham War Memorial

The Puttenham War Memorial is located prominently on The Street in the village of Puttenham, next to the Church of St John the Baptist. It is situated in a paved stone corner that is accessed by three steps.

The memorial features a sandstone hooded calvary cross with an octagonal shaft, which is mounted on an octagonal plinth. This is further set upon a sandstone octagonal base, which itself rests on a two-stepped Portland stone base, with the upper part being octagonal and the lower part square. Both the hood and the shaft display some carved decorative details, and all the lettering from the First World War period is styled in a decorative Celtic manner.

On the south face of the plinth, there is a Celtic-style square motif with the letters A M D G, which stands for ‘Ad Maiorum Dei Gloriam’, meaning ‘to the greater glory of God’. Below this, the inscription reads: IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE/ OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918.

Surrounding the octagonal base are 14 names along with their regiments, and on three sides, the inscription states: THEIR NAMES LIVETH FOR EVERMORE.

A rectangular stone plaque was later added to the south face of the memorial’s base, inscribed with the years 1939-1945. Below this plaque are the names of 11 men who lost their lives in the Second World War.

There are several planters adjacent to the memorial, but these are not of special interest and are not included in the listing.