Holmer Green War Memorial

The Common, Holmer Green, Buckinghamshire, HP15 6XQ

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Explore this list entry

Overview

War memorial obelisk commemorating First and Second World War casualties.
Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1435088
Date first listed:
17-May-2016
List Entry Name:
Holmer Green War Memorial
Statutory Address:
The Common, Holmer Green, Buckinghamshire, HP15 6XQ
User submitted image
Contributed by Stephanie Dance-Groom This photo may not represent the current condition of the site. Over 400,000 images and stories have been added to the Missing Pieces Project so far. Share your story.
View all

Location

Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places. 

There is a problem

Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.

What is the National Heritage List for England?

The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.

The list includes:

Icon Buildings
Icon Scheduled monuments
Icon Parks and gardens
Icon Battlefields
Icon Shipwrecks

Find out more about listing

Local Heritage Hub

Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.

Discover more

Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1435088
Date first listed:
17-May-2016
List Entry Name:
Holmer Green War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:
The Common, Holmer Green, Buckinghamshire, HP15 6XQ

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
The Common, Holmer Green, Buckinghamshire, HP15 6XQ

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
Buckinghamshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Little Missenden
National Grid Reference:
SU9058097390

Summary

War memorial obelisk commemorating First and Second World War casualties.

Reasons for Designation

Holmer Green War Memorial, which stands on The Common, 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;
* Architectural interest: a simple yet dignified memorial obelisk.

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 Holmer Green as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 14 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War, and 16 in the Second World War. It was in place by 1925, when it appears on the Ordnance Survey County Series 1:2500 map for Buckinghamshire.

Details

Holmer Green War Memorial is situated on the north side of The Common, opposite the Recreation Ground. It is set off the footway outside the parish church of Christ Church, elevated above street level by two low, paved, steps.

The memorial comprises a sandstone obelisk, square on plan, standing c 3m in height with a shallow pyramidal top. A Latin cross is incised at the top on the front (south) face. The obelisk stands on a square, slightly tapered, plinth with cyma recta moulding.

All wording is incised. The front face of the plinth bears the principal dedicatory inscription TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND TO THE BELOVED MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF HOLMER GREEN/ WHOSE SACRIFICE WAS ACCEPTED/ IN THE WARS OF/ 1914 - 1918/ AND/ 1939 – 1945/ THEY WENT TO WAR IN THE CAUSE OF PEACE/ AND DIED WITHOUT HATE THAT LOVE MIGHT LIVE.

The names of the 14 fallen from the First World War are inscribed on the west face of the plinth with the dates 1914 - 1918 above: the 16 names from the Second World War are inscribed on the east face, with the dates 1939 - 1945 above.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 13/04/2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/8124
War Memorials Online, accessed 13/04/2016 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/115195

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Holmer Green War Memorial

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 05-Jul-2026 at 06:47:07.

Download a full scale map (PDF)
© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

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.

Previous Overview
Next Comments and Photos