Aston War Memorial to the 8th Battalion, The Warwickshire Regiment
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1434285
- Date first listed:
- 04-Apr-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Aston War Memorial to the 8th Battalion, The Warwickshire Regiment
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1434285
- Date first listed:
- 04-Apr-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Aston War Memorial to the 8th Battalion, The Warwickshire Regiment
- Location Description:
- Churchyard of St Peter and St Paul on the Witton Lane boundary
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
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Birmingham (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SP0819989887
Summary
A regimental war memorial, unveiled in 1921 by Major General Sir Robert Fanshawe, KCB, DSO.
Reasons for Designation
The monument to the 8th Battalion, Warwickshire Regiment in the Churchyard of the Church of St Peter & St Paul, Aston 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 an accomplished and well-realised war memorial, which takes the form of a cenotaph;
* Group Value: the cross now forms a group with the Church of St Peter & St Paul, Aston.
History
The memorial to the 8th Battalion, The Warwickshire Regiment, was dedicated on 4 September 1921 by Major General Sir Robert Fanshawe, KCB, DSO.
The battalion had close local ties. The recruiting station was at the Aston Villa football ground, towards which the monument faces. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme 870 men died who had lived in a mile radius of Aston parish church. Of these 588 were men of the 8th Battalion.
Details
A regimental war memorial, unveiled in 1921 by Major General Sir Robert Fanshawe, KCB, DSO.
MATERIALS & PLAN: the memorial is set in the churchyard of the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Aston. It is of limestone and takes the form of a pylon with gently tapered sides, which is rectangular on plan and stands on a platform of two steps.
DETAILS: the principal front faces south west and has a square plaque to its upper body, in which is an inset roundel which bears the regimental crest of a chained deer with crown collar. Above and at either side of this are inscribed the words ‘ITALY / FRANCE BELGIUM’. Below is the following inscription: ‘TO THE / GLORIOUS MEMORY / OF THE / OFFICERS / NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS / AND MEN OF THE / 8TH BATTALION / THE ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE / REGIMENT / WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN / THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1919’. Immediately below which is the inscription ‘AND / THE WORLD WAR / 1939 – 1945’. The deep plinth has a moulded upper edge. To the top, the monument is stepped back. A projecting, central block shows a Latin cross in relief and above this is a cornice with two blocking courses forming the apex of the memorial.
The sides and rear are inscribed with battles in which the battalion fought.
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 Online, accessed 18 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/137506
War Memorials Register, accessed 25 July 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/72753
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 09-Jun-2026 at 16:42:50.
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.