War Memorial

The war memorial in Chippenham was created around 1920 by C Parker Pearson. It is made of limestone ashlar, granite, and slate. The north side of the memorial was originally an elaborate late 19th-century fountain and basin. At the center of the granite basin, which is now a semicircular flower bed, stands a semi-octagonal basin-plinth supported by four short granite Ionic columns on round bases. This plinth holds a circular granite bowl on a quatrefoil-sectioned shaft. Both the bowl and plinth feature fine bronze fish heads that once served as water spouts, now pointing toward the basin.

The tall central 20th-century shaft has engaged Ionic columns at the corners, which support an entablature and cornice. The south side of the memorial, designed by Parker Pearson, is flanked and separated from the north side by 19th-century balustrading, which ends with octagonal sandstone piers topped with domed caps. Two segmental-curved steps lead up to the inscribed slate panels. The entablature is engraved with the words "PRO GLORIA PATRIA," and above it is a rectangular plinth with canted scrolled corners, likely intended to support a statue.