Charminster War Memorial

First and Second World War memorial. Erected 1920 with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.

MATERIALS: Hamstone ashlar set on a reinforced concrete foundation.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial stands in the churchyard of the church of St Mary, near the centre of Charminster, and faces east. It is to the south of the Grade I listed medieval church and west of the Grade II listed early C18 Bridge Cottage and Charminster House. The memorial comprises a tall elongated Latin stone cross c3.5m high with a tapering octagonal shaft and crossarm. A longsword is carved in raised relief on the cross; the crossguard of the sword matching where the cross’ shaft and crossarm meet. The shaft stands on a moulded and corniced square plinth, which rests on a three-tier stepped square base, altogether 1.5m high. On the front of the plinth is the inscription in black lettering: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF CHARMINSTER/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR/ AUGUST 4TH 1914 TO NOVEMBER 11TH 1918/ THIS CROSS IS ERECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THIS VILLAGE/ TO PERPETUATE THEIR GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE/ AND THEIR HOPE FOR THEM IN CHRIST. The other sides of the plinth are inscribed with 22 names, including rank, regiment, place of death and date of death. The top stage of the base is inscribed: ALSO IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO FELL IN THE WORLD WAR/ SEPTEMBER 3RD 1939 TO AUGUST 15TH 1945. The names of nine of the Fallen appear on the other sides. The memorial is set on a reinforced concrete foundation.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 4 October 2017.