Combe Martin War Memorial

This List entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 16/01/2017

1544/0/10012

COMBE MARTIN, CHURCH STREET, Combe Martin War Memorial

(Formerly Listed as: War Memorial)

11.05.07

GV

II

War memorial, 1921 by William C. Williams and Co., constructed of light grey granite with bronze relief plaques.

It has a rusticated square stepped base with a tapering square plinth, rising to square shaft, topped by a wheel headed cross. The whole is set within a walled memorial garden.

A plaque on the east face of the plinth bears the text: To the honoured memory of/ the men of this parish/ who gave their lives for their country/in the Great War 1914 -1919 (35 names)/ they died that we might live'. A further bronze plaque on the steps records the names of the fallen of WWII as follows:Also to the honoured memory of the men of this parish/ who gave their lives for their country in the World War 1939-45'. (24 names). The memorial is set within a walled memorial garden with wrought iron gates.

HISTORY: The war memorial was erected in 1921 and unveiled by the Bishop of Exeter. The plaque was added in the late 1940s commemorating those fallen in WWII.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: War memorials are valued because of their continued relevance to society, acting both as a focal point for formal memorial services and providing a poignant reminder of the human cost of recent conflict. This example in Combe Martin is associated with other listed memorials and buildings and its composition although simple, is elegant and well handled. It thus fully merits listing.

SOURCES: http://www.roll of honour.com

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, 8 December 2016.