War Memorial 21 Metres North East Of The Village Pond

The war memorial stands 21 metres north east of the village pond. It was designed in 1921 by H Bryans of Mornington Crescent, London, with sculpture by Messrs Haswell of Chester, and is constructed from Runcorn stone. It is a tall, tapering shaft of square section, topped with a projecting moulded cap and a square-sectioned Latin cross. The shaft is set on a four-sided plinth with shouldered tops to the corners and an octagonal top, which in turn rests on a four-tiered octagonal base. An inscription on the west face of the plinth reads: “In honoured memory of the brave men of Newton Valence who gave their lives for God, King and Country in the Great War A-D 1914-1918. So they passed over and all the trumpets sounded for them on the other side.” Thirteen names of the fallen are inscribed on the north and south faces; among the six names on the south face are three men awarded the Distinguished Service Order: Lieutenant Colonel H A Lempriere of the 7th Dragoon Guards, Brigadier General R C Maclachan of the Rifle Brigade and Lieutenant Colonel A F C Maclachlan of the Kings Royal Rifles. The east face bears the inscription “1939-1945” alongside a list of four names of those who fell in World War II. The memorial cost £320 and was unveiled on 6th March 1921 by Colonel G B Lempriere, and dedicated by the vicar, Reverend A C Maclachan. War memorials hold strong historic and cultural significance at both local and national levels, and this 1921 example is considered an elegant design in an attractive village setting.