Warminster War Memorial

First World War memorial, unveiled May 1921, with later additions.

MATERIAL Bath stone

DESCRIPTION The memorial is approximately 6.5m high and has a wheel-head cross on a tall, tapering shaft of four sections set upon a shallow, square plinth. The cross is decorated with Celtic-style relief carvings, and at its base the lamb and flag are depicted. The front of the shaft has incised decoration and a carving of St George. Below this is the dedication which reads: IN PROUD & / GRATEFUL / MEMORY OF / WARMINSTER / MEN WHO / FELL IN THE / GREAT WAR / 1914-1919. The lower front part of the shaft is inscribed: 1939-1945. The names of the Fallen from both the First and Second World Wars are listed on the other three sides of the shaft. The NW, NE and SE sides of the plinth are also inscribed with those who died in the Second World War and in Afghanistan. Fixed to the plinth is a stone planter inscribed: BEST KEPT WAR MEMORIAL 1968; there is a similar planter, dated 1964, in front of the memorial.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES The memorial stands on a paved surface and is set within a small garden which is bounded by low stone rubble walls which originally contained a pedestrian gateway. This has since been replaced by a wider entrance and the piers have been rebuilt. A sculpture was introduced to garden in 2010 which represents the trenches of the First World War.

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, 21 March 2017.