War Memorial 500m south-west of Alameda Gate

Summary

A war memorial designed by Sir Albert Richardson and Charles Lovett Gill, and erected in 1921.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial 500m south-west of the Alameda Gate, Ampthill, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural Interest: the memorial, in the form of a cenotaph, is architecturally distinguished and executed in high quality materials with good craftsmanship. It is designed by Sir Albert Richardson and Charles Lovett Gill. Richardson has many buildings on the statutory List, including the R101 war memorial in Cardington (Grade II);

* Historic Interest: the memorial possesses considerable historic interest as a mark of the poignant cost of world conflicts on the community at Ampthill, which still has resonance to this day;

* Group Value: the memorial has strong group value with the Alameda Gate, listed at Grade ll in 1972, with which it is functionally and historically associated.

History

The memorial, designed by Sir Albert Richardson (1880-1964) in partnership with Charles Lovett Gill (1880-1960), was erected on land donated by the Duke of Bedford to commemorate those who had lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was unveiled in 17th May 1921 by HRH Princess Beatrice and dedicated by Bishop Taylor Smith. An Inscription and further names were added after the Second World War. Richardson lived in Ampthill from 1919 and designed several local buildings, including the Alameda Gate (listed at Grade II) erected as part of the scheme for the memorial, replacing a simple field gate. The tree-lined Alameda Walk leads from the gate to the memorial.

Details

MATERIALS: Portland limestone.

PLAN: the memorial takes the form of a cenotaph, raised on a two-tiered plinth, set on a polygonal base.

EXTERIOR: the cenotaph is designed in a stripped neo-classical style with a stylised Corinthian capital that has acanthus leaves, and pineapples marking the corners of the dentilated cornice. The memorial has chamfered corners which are fluted, and there is a circular moulded plaque with a crucifix, just below the capital, on the principal facade. There is an inscription below the plaque in Roman lettering which reads ‘THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE’. The names of the fallen are inscribed on the faces of the cenotaph, which is raised on a two-tier, square plinth with chamfered corners, the upper part inscribed with the years ‘1914-1919’. The rear face of the lower plinth has the following inscription: THIS MONUMENT TO OUR GALLANT DEAD / WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WARS / WAS UNVEILED BY / H. R. H. PRINCESS BEATRICE / AND DEDICATED / BY THE RT. REV. THE CHAPLAIN GENERAL TO THE FORCES (BISHOP TAYLOR SMITH) / ON MAY 17TH 1921 IN THE PRESENCE OF / THE AMPTHILL URBAN COUNCIL / (CHAIRMAN I. W. CRISP) / A. H. WINGFIELD / CHAIRMAN OF THE MEMORIAL COMMITTEE / AND / HERBRAND 11TH DUKE OF BEDFORD K.G. / DONOR OF THE SITE/.

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, 16 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 16 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/1683
War Memorials Online, accessed 16 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/162948

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