West Wycombe War Memorial
Churchyard of the Church of St Lawrence, West Wycombe, HP14 3AH
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1437427
- Date first listed:
- 30-Aug-2016
- List Entry Name:
- West Wycombe War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Lawrence, West Wycombe, HP14 3AH
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1437427
- Date first listed:
- 30-Aug-2016
- List Entry Name:
- West Wycombe War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Lawrence, West Wycombe, HP14 3AH
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
- Statutory Address:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Lawrence, West Wycombe, HP14 3AH
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Buckinghamshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- West Wycombe
- National Grid Reference:
- SU8281294980
Summary
First World War memorial of 1927 with Second World War additions.
Reasons for Designation
West Wycombe War Memorial 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 community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a well-carved example of a Calvary cross;
* Group value: with the Church of St Lawrence (Grade I), the mausoleum (Grade I), and the scheduled monument of Camp on Church Hill.
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, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at West Wycombe as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The memorial was constructed in 1927 and bears no names. Inside the church is an associated marble plaque which has the names of 75 men who died in the First World War.
In 2012 repairs were made to the concrete hardstanding around the memorial with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust.
Details
MATERIALS: limestone.
DESCRIPTION: the war memorial takes the form of a Calvary cross which is mounted on top of a tall hexagonal shaft topped with a carved collar. The shaft is set on an octagonal plinth and a two-stepped base.
The inscription reads: TO THE MEMORY OF WEST WYCOMBE MEN WHO LAID DOWN / THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918 / AND WHOSE NAMES ARE RECORDED IN THE PARISH CHURCH / LIVE THOU FOR ENGLAND, WE FOR ENGLAND DIED / ALSO / IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO FELL IN WORLD WAR II / 1939 – 1945.
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Trust, accessed 6 July 2016 from http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=970
War Memorials Online, accessed 6 July 2016 from www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/114967
War Memorials Register, accessed 6 July 2016 from www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/8354
Roll of Honour, West Wycombe, accessed 6 July 2016 from www.roll-of-honour.com/Buckinghamshire/WestWycombe.html
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 10-Jun-2026 at 12:29:51.
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.