The Town and County War Memorial

MATERIALS: Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: The memorial stands in a garden defined by a stone wall and a yew hedge, with gateways to the north and south. The area was originally the easternmost section of the churchyard of the Church of All Saints (Grade I-listed).

The ornamental wrought-iron gates at the garden entrances hang from stone gate piers with urn finials above pyramidal blocking courses to the cornices. The stone wall around the garden, circa 1m tall, is finished with a simple, chamfered, coping. The memorial stands on a paved platform. In the centre, a Stone of Remembrance (designed by Lutyens for the Imperial (now Commonwealth) War Graves Commission) is raised on three steps. On either side, to the north and south, is a tall obelisk, each raised on a tall, square, corniced column of four stages. The columns each stand on a square, undercut, plinth.

Round arched, curved, niches are let into the principal stage of each column. Very tall painted stone flags, topped with gilded laurel wreaths, flank each obelisk, each draped around the cornice. The northern obelisk is flanked by the Red Ensign (north side) and Union Flag (south side); the southern obelisk by the White Ensign (north side) and RAF Ensign (south side).

The dedicatory inscriptions are carved into each element of the memorial. On the east side of the northern obelisk’s column is carved MCM/ XIX on a raised panel below the cornice. Below this is the town’s coat of arms with MCMXXXIX/ MCMXLV below. On the west side is MCM/ XIV. This is repeated on the southern obelisk. On the Stone of Remembrance is carved THE SOULS OF THE RIGHTEOUS/ ARE IN THE HANDS OF GOD (west side); THEIR NAME LIVETH/ FOR EVERMORE (east side).

A dwarf stone wall on the western side of the garden, running in front of the yew hedge, is inscribed + TO THE MEMORY OF ALL THOSE OF THIS TOWN AND COUNTY WHO SERVED AND DIED IN THE GREAT WAR +. A broad flagged walkway alongside incorporates many ledger stones formerly in All Saints’ churchyard.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 17 January 2017.