Olveston War Memorial with associated steps and flanking dwarf walls

War memorial, erected in 1920, to a design of the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield, with associated steps and flanking dwarf walls designed by the Bristol architect, Graham Awdry.

MATERIALS: carved of stone, with bronze long swords and plaques.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial stands in the south-east corner of the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, at the junction of Church Hill and The Street. It takes the form of a Cross of Sacrifice with inset bronze long swords to its front and back face. The octagonal cross and shaft is mounted on an octagonal base, plinth and platform, each increasing in diameter. To the bottom of the shaft is a bronze plaque with the inscription:

IN / COMMEMORATION / OF / THE VE / VJ / 50TH ANNIVERSARY / CELEBRATIONS / 1995

Beneath, to the south-east side of the base, is a further plaque with the inscription:

THIS CROSS / IS ERECTED BY / THE PARISHIONERS OF OLVESTON / TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY / OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / FOR THEIR COUNTRY / IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918 / THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE

The plaque to either side lists the names of the 33 men who died in the First World War. Beneath the plaque to the left is a small plaque inscribed WILLIAM EDWARD LANSDOWN (KOREA). To the left is a further plaque commemorating the four men who died in the Second World War.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the memorial is approached from Church Hill by a flight of four stone steps arranged as a demi-octagon, and flanked by sections of dwarf wall with large chamfered coping stones. To the rounded ends of the wall are ‘bun'-shaped finials.

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, 11 January 2017.