Aylesbury War Memorial

First World War memorial, 1921, with additions commemorating the Second World War and the Falklands War.

MATERIALS: Portland stone, with bronze plaques and lamp posts.

PLAN: the war memorial is situated at the NW end of Market Square, at the junction with Market Street. It occupies an oval plot facing SE.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial consists of a cross flanked by low, curved screen walls bearing commemorative plaques. In front, on the SW, is an oval paved and grassed area, enclosed on its SE edge by two plinths with bronze lamp posts, and cast iron posts linked by chains.

The cross, based on the Imperial War Graves Commission ‘Cross of Sacrifice’, has an octagonal shaft and cross bar, bearing a bronze sword. It has an ogee-moulded base and stands on a multi-tiered plinth, the base to which bears commemorative plaques and adjoins the low, concave walls, also bearing plaques. The walls have wide moulded copings, and terminate in stout piers.

The front face of the plinth bears a plaque with floriated decoration and a cross and scroll, incorporating 1914 and 1918, with the inscription ‘THEIR MEMORY / LIVES / FOR EVERMORE’. The names of the 300 fallen from the First World War are on eight bronze plaques affixed to the SE faces of the wall. The names, in raised lettering, are arranged in two columns per panel, alphabetical by surname followed by initials and rank.

The two sides of the plinth each have a plaque bearing the names of the 108 fallen men from the Second World War. Immediately above each of the plaques, on the sloping surface, are smaller plaques inscribed ‘1939-1945’. On the NE end of the screen wall is a single plaque inscribed ‘THE FALKLANDS CAMPAIGN 1982 / COCKTON SJ LCPL’.

The enclosed area in front of the monument is paved and has inset pebbles and two grassed areas separated by central footpath. Two square plinths with moulded bases and cornices each hold a bronze lamp post with acanthus-leaf bases, columns with laurel, and capitals, with a glass, flame-shaped shade. The cast iron posts linking the chain barrier are square on plan and have two stages of mouldings and spherical finials.

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, 5 June 2017.