Hersham Memorial Cross

Summary

First World War memorial, 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Hersham Memorial Cross, which stands in Hersham Memorial Garden, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: an elegant stone memorial cross.

History

Hersham Memorial Cross was erected at the junction of Burwood Road and Pleasant Place, to the south of The Green in Hersham. It was unveiled on 7 November 1920 by local resident Colonel Sir WH Horrocks KCB, at an ecumenical service led by the local clergy. Iron railings around the memorial, a gravel path, and a holly hedge were established by the local council shortly after.

An adjacent pond was drained in 1952 and the surrounding area turned into a memorial garden. At this time a further inscription was added to the memorial to commemorate those who died during the Second World War. Originally a captured German artillery piece was displayed alongside the memorial, but this was removed during the Second World War scrap-metal drive. The garden became a Fields in Trust Centenary Field in 2014.

Details

The memorial stands in the north-east corner of Hersham Memorial Garden. Built of Hoptonwood stone, it takes the form of a 6m tall Latin cross, with a cover over the cross-head. The cover features angled crenellations along its length. At the intersection of the cross is a shield bearing the monogram IHS. The cross rises from a tapering, octagonal, shaft with a moulded foot which stands on a square plinth. The plinth stands on a three-stepped, octagonal, base.

The north-east face of the plinth bears the dedication in lettering carved in relief IN MEMORY OF THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919/ AND OF THE MEN OF HERSHAM/ WHO FOUGHT THEREIN. On the north-west face of the plinth is a dedication to those who lost their lives in the Second World War, in incised lettering: 1939 – 1945/ TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY/ OF/ THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN/ OF HERSHAM/ WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/ IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR. The names of those who died in the First World War are carved on the south-east face of the plinth. The south-west face bears a shield encircled by a wreath, carved in relief.

The memorial is surrounded by flower beds, enclosed within iron railings.


This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 5 December 2016.

Sources

Books and journals
Barker, JL, Barker, DM, Hark Back to Hersham, (1996)

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 05/12/2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/23362
Fields in Trust, Hersham Memorial Garden, accessed 26/05/2015 from http://www.fieldsintrust.org/Hersham-Memorial-Garden
War Memorials Online, accessed 05/12/2016 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/136620

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