Summary
First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Coombe Bissett and Homington War Memorial, situated in the churchyard of the church of St Michael and All Angels, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Group value: with the Grade I-listed Church of St Michael and numerous listed monuments in the churchyard.
History
Coombe Bissett and Homington War Memorial was designed by Captain Maurice Marsden Wood RE, and constructed by Gething and Co, Chilmark. It had been erected by 1924, paid for by donations from parishioners. The upkeep of the memorial was funded by a trust set up in 1924 by Lady Caroline Benson, widow of Major General Sir Frederick William Benson (d1916), whose name is recorded on the memorial (responsibility for upkeep was transferred to the Parish Council in 1990). The names of parishioners who fell in the Second World War were added in 1950. Remedial work funded by War Memorials Trust, including the repair of eroded stone in the shaft, was carried out in 2014.
Details
The memorial stands in the churchyard of the church of St Michael (Grade I) in a prominent position just beyond the lychgate. Built of Portland stone, it consists of a Maltese cross decorated with a Greek cross carved in relief, rising from a tapering octagonal shaft. That stands on an octagonal plinth, placed on a square base and three steps.
End of official list entry
