Hitcham War Memorial

First World War memorial with Second World War additions.

DESCRIPTION: Hitcham War Memorial is situated in Hitcham Lane on a grass verge at the roadside to the south of the Grade I-listed Church of St Mary.

The memorial takes the form of a stone, Latin cross-head atop an octagonal, tapering column with moulded foot. To each face of the column are small, recessed arches at its base, directly above the foot. The column rises from a moulded pedestal, surmounting a square plinth with a three-stepped, octagonal base beneath. The pedestal has a chamfered top with a moulded scroll design to the bottom of each corner. The plinth consists of a square block on a chamfered foot. The pedestal carries the principal inscription to three sides, with the names on the plinth beneath. A narrow square block separates the pedestal and plinth and bears the dates of the conflicts to two faces.

The principal inscription and dates are carved with raised lettering, while the names are incised. The west face reads: THEY SLEEP WITH/ THE EMPIRE'S BEST/ AND NOBLEST SONS/ (6 NAMES); the south face reads: WHO IN THE/ GLORIOUS MORNING/ OF THEIR DAYS/ 1914-1918/ (6 NAMES); and the west face reads FOR ENGLAND'S /SAKE LOST ALL BUT/ ENGLAND'S PRAISE/ (6 NAMES)

The north side of the plinth carries the four names of those who died during the Second World War, underneath the dates 1939 – 1945.