Princetown War Memorial

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

MATERIALS: constructed from Dartmoor granite.

PLAN: the memorial stands on the south side of Tavistock Road, 32m south-east of the Church of St Michael (Grade II*-listed).

DESCRIPTION: it takes the form of a 3.5m tall cross with chamfered edges, stopped towards the foot of the shaft. The cross stands on a two-stage plinth, square on plan. The plinth is raised on a two-stepped, octagonal, base.

The principal dedicatory inscription, in applied metal lettering, to the front (north) face of the upper stage of the plinth reads ‘IN PROUD, GRATEFUL, AND / HONOURED MEMORY OF / THE MEN OF THIS PARISH / OF PRINCETOWN, WHO GAVE / THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE / OF THEIR COUNTRY DURING / THE GREAT WAR, 1914 – 1918’. The south face in inscribed "THEY DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE". The 33 names of the fallen are listed on the other sides of the plinth.

The First World War names are listed on faces of the base below. The Second World War inscription, to the front face of the upper step of the base, reads ‘1939 - 1945’ followed by four names, and on the tread of the step below, the most recent inscription reads ‘2001 – 2014’ followed by one name.

The memorial is surrounded by a granite cobble pavement, octagonal on plan, with eight low pyramidal corner posts, also in granite, carrying a chain.