Grendon Underwood War Memorial
Main Road, Grendon Underwood, opposite Grange Gardens
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1412840
- Date first listed:
- 25-Feb-2013
- List Entry Name:
- Grendon Underwood War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Main Road, Grendon Underwood, opposite Grange Gardens
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1412840
- Date first listed:
- 25-Feb-2013
- List Entry Name:
- Grendon Underwood War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Main Road, Grendon Underwood, opposite Grange Gardens
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Main Road, Grendon Underwood, opposite Grange Gardens
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Buckinghamshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Grendon Underwood
- National Grid Reference:
- SP6828220656
Summary
War memorial. Erected in 1921. Additional inscription added after World War II.
Reasons for Designation
The Grendon Underwood War Memorial, erected on the main street of the village in 1921, is designated at Grade II for the following reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this Buckinghamshire village;
* Architectural interest: for the relatively unusual inclusion of all those from the village that served in the armed forces during World War I rather than the more usual practice of only recording the names of the fallen.
History
The war memorial was unveiled by Major General Sir Robert Fanshawe on 16 May 1921 on land on the south side of Main Street, donated to the parish by Miss Adeline Piggott of The Manor. The memorial was paid for by subscription of members of the village and the stone masons were W Wise and Son of Winslow. An unusual feature of the memorial was that it bore the names not only of the fallen, but all who served during the WWI, including those wounded or captured. The names of those who served during WWII were added to the rear of the memorial.
Details
The memorial, set on a grassed area, consists of a York stone obelisk, with a total height of 2.3m, set on a square base and pedestal with scotia moulding. The northern face of the obelisk has a wreath in high relief and below it the inscription reads: ‘ERECTED/ TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN HONOUR OF/ THE MEN OF/ GRENDON UNDERWOOD/ WHO SERVED THEIR/ KING AND COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918./ IN MEMORIUM.’ Below are the names of the three fallen with their rank and regiment or ship. Beneath this is the inscription ‘LEST WE FORGET’. The eastern face lists those wounded or taken prisoner and the western face those who also served. The southern face has the inscription: ‘ALSO/ IN GRATEFUL/ REMEMBRANCE OF/ ALL FROM THIS/ PARISH/ WHO SERVED/ IN THE/ SECOND WORLD/ WAR/ 1939 – 1945’ followed by the names.
The memorial is surrounded by iron chains linking four timber posts. The adjoining memorial bench is not of special interest.
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, 11 January 2017.
Sources
Books and journals
Bucks Herald in Grendon Underwood War Memorial Unveiled, (21 May 1921)
Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 11 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/8033
War Memorials Online, accessed 11 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/115286
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 10-Jun-2026 at 21:22:06.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.