Summary
First World War memorial, 1924.
Reasons for Designation
The Boy Scouts War Memorial in Cannon Hill Park 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 made by its members of the Scouting Movement in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: an elegant obelisk in the Classical style, designed in an unusual material, by William Haywood FRIBA;
* Historical association: with the adjacent avenue of trees on Queen's Ride, each planted for one of the fallen Scouts;
* Group value: standing in Cannon Hill Park (Grade II*).
History
The Boy Scouts War Memorial in Cannon Hill Park was unveiled on 27 July 1924 in memory of all of the local Boy Scouts who lost their lives in the First World War. The money was raised by the Old Scouts Association in 1921, to form a permanent memorial at the end of the avenue of trees which had been planted in 1920. Each tree in the avenue commemorates a named Scout. The obelisk was designed by Birmingham architect William Hayward (1877-1957) who lived nearby, and is said to have designed the Grade II-listed bridge over the lake in the park. A later inscription was added to commemorate those Scouts who lost their lives in the Second World War. The memorial was conserved in 2012 by Birmingham Museum Trust and Birmingham City Council.
Details
The memorial stands at the edge of Cannon Hill Park at the south-west end of Queen’s Ride, surrounded by a flowerbed with a path leading to the western face. It is within the Grade II* Cannon Hill Park: Queen’s Ride was a riding track laid out in 1897, modified in 1920 when the avenue of trees was planted to commemorate the fallen Scouts.
End of official list entry
