Brent Knoll War Memorial
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1436908
- Date first listed:
- 31-Aug-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Brent Knoll War Memorial
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1436908
- Date first listed:
- 31-Aug-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Brent Knoll War Memorial
- Location Description:
- located to the west of the churchyard of St Michael's Church, Brent Knoll, Sedgemoor, Somerset
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:
- Somerset (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Brent Knoll
- National Grid Reference:
- ST3357850735
Summary
War memorial, erected in circa 1920.
Reasons for Designation
Brent Knoll War Memorial is designated 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 sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: an accomplished and well-realised design;
* Intactness: the memorial survives intact in its original location;
* Group value: it has group value with the Grade I Church of St Michael.
History
The great age of memorial building was in the aftermath of the First World War with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. It is not known when the Brent Knoll War Memorial was erected and commemorated, but it was likely to be during the 1920s. Additional inscriptions were added following the Second World War.
Details
War memorial, erected in circa 1920.
MATERIALS: carved from stone.
DESCRIPTION: located to the west of the Church of St Michael, the war memorial, a freestanding lantern cross, stands on a moulded octagonal platform. It comprises a three-stepped, octagonal pedestal surmounted by a square base which is carved to form an octagonal top. The shaft, which is square at the base, is chamfered with broach stops to form an octagon which, above the annulet at the top, splays outwards to carry the lantern cross. The lantern cross has decorative tracery-style and foliate carving to each side and its east face has a relief carving of the Crucifixion of Christ with the figure of the Virgin Mary and St John the Evangelist to either side. Carved in relief and continuing around the face of the top step is the inscription:
1914-1918/ REMEMBER WITH THANKSGIVING/THE BRENT KNOLL/MEN WHO GAVE /THEIR LIVES IN/THE SERVICE OF/ THEIR COUNTRY
The names of the seventeen men who died are inscribed on the riser of the second step.
To the east face of the bottom step is carved the date ‘1939-45’ and to either side are inscribed the names of the six men of the parish who died.
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, 14 December 2016.
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 11/12/2014 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/30184
War Memorials Online, accessed 14/12/2016 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/230709
Other
War Memorial, Church of St Michael, Brent Knoll (17635), Somerset Historic Environment Record
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 25-Jun-2026 at 21:29:28.
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.