Cirencester War Memorial

MATERIALS: Clipsham stone.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial cross adjacent to the Church of St John the Baptist is a Calvary with Christ and two supporting figures. Beneath this is a roundel showing a pelican in her piety, and then a tapering faceted shaft over a square plinth and a three-stepped octagonal base. On the reverse face of the crucified Christ, Christ is portrayed as a child in the arms of his mother. This shield at her feet contains the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet, Alpha and Omega. There are inscriptions on two faces of the plinth, and a decorative rail for holding wreaths stands on the lowest step of the base.

The principal dedicatory inscription on the E face of the plinth reads: DEDICATED IN MEMORY OF THE/ MEN OF CIRENCESTER WHO GAVE/ THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR KING/ AND COVNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR/ AO DNI 1914 – 1919/ ALSO IN THE SECOND/ WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945. On the opposite (W) face is lettering in relief which reads IS IT NOTHING/ TO YOV ALL YE/ THAT PASS BY.

A small plaque is attached to the S face of the pedestal which reads CIRENCESTER WAR MEMORIAL/ “LEST WE FORGET”/ PLEASE RESPECT THIS MEMORIAL CROSS.