Kenilworth War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, 1922, with additions for later conflicts.

Reasons for Designation

Kenilworth War Memorial, which stands on Forrest Road, 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 tall and imposing memorial obelisk in the Classical style;
* Group value: with designated assets including 17-19 Abbey Hill (Grade II).

History

Kenilworth War Memorial was dedicated on Sunday 26 February 1922. It was unveiled by the Vicar of Kenilworth, Reverend J W Dennis, and the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Francis Leigh. The monument was designed and sculpted by F W Doyle-Jones of Chelsea, having won the design competition, and was financed by public subscription. The small metal fence around the monument was added at a later time.

The memorial originally commemorated 129 men and one woman of Kenilworth who died in the First World War, with 9 names added at a later date. The names of those who died in the Second World War were added in 1951 and a single name from the Korean War was added in 1952.

Francis W Doyle-Jones (1873-1938) was an architect and sculptor originally from Hartlepool. He worked first for his father, before studying in Paris and London, and concentrated on portraiture. He designed a number of Boer War memorials including those at Middlesbrough (Grade II), Gateshead (Grade II) and Penrith. His numerous First World War memorials include those in Gravesend, Sutton Coldfield (Grade II), and the ‘Men of Elland’ memorial in West Yorkshire (Grade II).

Details

The monument stands at the southern edge of Abbey Fields Park (scheduled monument) in Kenilworth. It comprises a tall stone segmented obelisk, square on plan, with a low pyramidal top. The obelisk stands on a two-stepped stone base. That stands on a further two-tiered set of stone slabs, the upper of which is enclosed by a small black metal fence.

The southern side faces the main road and is ornamented with a stone lion’s head, carved in relief, near the top of the shaft, holding a decorative wreath in its mouth. Below this a bronze plaque records the principal dedicatory inscription IN GRATEFUL/ MEMORY OF/ THOSE FROM/ KENILWORTH/ WHO GAVE/ THEIR LIVES/ IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919/ LEST WE FORGET. To the east and west sides similar plaques record the commemorated First World War names. The plaque on the north side records the inscription to the fallen of the Second World War, THESE GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE WAR OF 1939 – 1945, with the names below, as well as the single name from the Korean War.

The surrounding area is paved, with flowerbeds to the northern, eastern and western sides. The paving is not of special interest.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 17 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 15/04/2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/19490
War Memorials Online, accessed 17 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/104546

Other
S. Tall (pers.comm.) (author of "Kenilworth and the Great War").

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