The Charltons' War Memorial

Summary

First World War Memorial of 1930, with further inscriptions added after the Second World War and in the early C21.

Reasons for Designation

The Charltons’ war memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: as a well-executed and dignified composition.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever, with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country. One such memorial, set within a walled garden of remembrance, was erected at the junction of Ilchester Road and Collins Lane between the villages of Charlton Mackrell and Charlton Adam to commemorate the twenty-three local men (some names added more recently following research) who lost their lives during this conflict. It was designed by Captain W F Dickinson, FRIBA, of Kingweston and dedicated on 28 June 1930. After the Second World War a further three names were added, and an additional name was added in 2006 to commemorate a serviceman who died during the war in Iraq.

Details

First World War Memorial of 1930, with further inscriptions added after the Second World War and in the early C21.

MATERIALS: constructed of coursed blue lias.

PLAN: the boundary walls enclose a roughly-triangular area within which is a memorial wall that has a rectangular plan.

DESCRIPTION: it has a two-stepped base surmounted by a monolith which tapers slightly. Set in its front (south) face is a number of inscribed stone plaques. The central plaque carries the inscription: ‘1914/ 1918’, in front of this is a brass lantern. To the left is a plaque inscribed with the names of the men from Charlton Mackrell who lost their lives during the First World War; to the right is one listing those from Charlton Adam who died. The lower section of the wall has a central tablet inscribed: 1939-1945/ (NAMES).

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the west, east and south sides of the remembrance garden are bounded by coursed stone walls with stone coping. The entrance (south) front has low metal gates between tall, square stone piers and each has a stone crucifix in relief to the south face.

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, 14 December 2016.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 13/11/2014 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/24828
War Memorials in The Charltons, accessed 13 November 2014 from http://www.charltons-mackrell-adam.org.uk/14.html
War Memorials Trust, Charlton Mackrell, accessed 13 November 2014 from http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=972
War Memorials Online, accessed 14/12/2016 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/140777

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