Glastonbury War Memorial

The Glastonbury War Memorial is a First World War memorial built in 1920, which was later altered to include the names of those who fell in the Second World War.

Constructed from Doulting stone, the memorial has a rectangular shape and stands approximately 6 meters high. It features a Maltese cross atop a shaft that sits on a tapering plinth. The cross is adorned with an emblem at its center representing the first two letters of the Greek name for Christ, along with the letters N I K H in each arm, symbolizing 'Nike', which means Victory.

The shaft is decorated with carved Celtic plait work designs and includes a further carved symbol depicting two birds eating from the Tree of Life, signifying the immortality of the soul. At the base of the shaft, there is a plaque commemorating the fallen of the Second World War, inscribed with the words, "THIS TABLET WAS ADDED/ IN MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN THE/ WORLD WAR/ 1939 - 1945/ (NAMES)/ THEY DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE."

The plinth features plaques honoring the fallen of the First World War, with the inscription, "TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF THIS TOWN WHO FELL IN/ THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1919/ (NAMES)/ THEY DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE/ ALSO IN GRATEFUL APPRECIATION OF THOSE WHO RETURNED."

The memorial is set on a stone stepped base.