Fishponds War Memorial

The memorial stands in a small suburban park in the Fishponds area of Bristol. The park is to the east of the Grade II-listed Church of St Mary and the old school house (Numbers 11, 13 and 15 and Attached Wall, Grade II*-listed). The drinking fountain to the south-east of the memorial is Grade II-listed. Originally the memorial was enclosed by railings.

The memorial consists of three broad octagonal concrete steps, the first being c4m across, the second c3m, and the third c2m, surmounted by a rough-hewn, square on plan, granite plinth c2.3m high and c1m wide. The life-sized bronze sculpture of a soldier, his helmet raised in his left hand and carrying his rifle in his right hand, stands on the plinth. The rifle muzzle is missing the bayonet with which it was originally fitted. Below the sculpture, a bronze scroll bears the inscription 1914 – VICTORY – 1918.

A bronze panel containing the names of the fallen of the parish is mounted on each side of the granite plinth. The inscription on the front panel reads IN GLORIOUS MEMORY/ GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT/ (NAMES)/ “THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE”. The inscriptions on the remaining three plaques read IN GLORIOUS MEMORY/ (NAMES)/ “THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE”. Below the main plaque on the rear face of the plinth, a small bronze plaque reads FREDERICK G. ROOM V.C./ 2ND BN. THE ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT/ 1895 – 1932.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 15 December 2016.