West Dean War Memorial
Church of St Mary, Rectory Hill, West Dean, Wiltshire, SP5 1JQ
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1430890
- Date first listed:
- 23-Nov-2015
- List Entry Name:
- West Dean War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Church of St Mary, Rectory Hill, West Dean, Wiltshire, SP5 1JQ
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1430890
- Date first listed:
- 23-Nov-2015
- List Entry Name:
- West Dean War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Church of St Mary, Rectory Hill, West Dean, Wiltshire, SP5 1JQ
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:
- Church of St Mary, Rectory Hill, West Dean, Wiltshire, SP5 1JQ
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- West Dean
- National Grid Reference:
- SU2572827210
Summary
First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
West Dean War Memorial, situated in the churchyard of the church of St Mary, 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;
* Group value: with the Grade II-listed church of St Mary.
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 England. One such memorial was raised at West Dean to commemorate four local servicemen. In November 1991 a plaque commemorating those who fell in the Second World War was added in front of the memorial. The memorial was refurbished 2003.
Details
The memorial stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary (Grade II-listed). Of Cornish granite, it comprises a plain Celtic cross set on a tapering shaft. That stands on a tapering rectangular plinth raised on a low, square, base. A reclining stone plaque is set in front of the plinth.
The front face of the plinth bears an inscription that reads IN MEMORY OF/ THE HEROES OF THIS VILLAGE/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ (4 NAMES)/ “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, / THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS”.
In addition, the plaque in front of the memorial bears an inscription that reads ALSO THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945/ (5 NAMES). All inscriptions are incised and painted black.
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, 25 July 2017.
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Trust, Grants Showcase - West Dean (Wiltshire), accessed 15 June 2015 from http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=244
War Memorials Online, accessed 16 December 2016 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/106680
War Memorials Register, accessed 25 July 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/72766
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 04-Jul-2026 at 07:17:35.
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.