Cookham Dean War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 1919, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Cookham Dean War Memorial, which stands on the green, unveiled in 1919 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: an elegant memorial cross designed by FC Eden FRIBA;
* Materials: including brick and knapped flint components, local materials common to the area’s traditional building style.

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. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Cookham Dean as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Cookham Dean War Memorial was unveiled on 23 November 1919. It was designed by FC Eden, in commemoration of 41 local servicemen who died in the First World War. In 1946 the names of eight men who died in the Second World War were added: these names were listed on bronze plaques attached to the memorial. Plaques recording the First World War names were also fixed over the original inscriptions, which had become weathered. The war memorial was fully conserved in 2016, with grant-aid from War Memorials Trust and Historic England. This work included removing the metal plaques and re-cutting all the names into the stonework, and well as repairing other damage.

Frederick Charles Eden FRIBA FSA (1864-1944), architect and stained glass designer, joined William Butterfield’s office following his education at Wellington College, and Keble College, Oxford. He was articled to Bodley and Garner in 1889. In private practice in London from 1890, he was responsible for the design of a number of war memorials, some of which are windows but including lych gates (such as that listed Grade II at Crudwell parish church) and free-standing crosses such as the Grade II-listed examples at Weybourne (Norfolk), All Saints’ Church, Clifton (Bristol), and East Bergholt (Suffolk).

Details

The memorial stands on the green in Cookham Dean, part of the commons of the Manor of Cookham (National Trust). It takes the form of a small Latin cross rising from a moulded collar, on a tapering shaft. The intersection of the cross arms is ornamented with a small shield to the front. The shaft is decorated with a fluted and beaded spiral pattern, and stands on a small stone pedestal, square on plan. The pedestal stands on a three-stage base; each stage, made of stone, brick, and with knapped flint squares in the lowest stage, has a slightly projecting step for the placement of wreaths. The memorial is centred at a round pavement of cobbles and stone kerbs. The principal dedicatory inscription on the pedestal reads FOR GOD KING AND COUNTRY and FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH 1914-1918. The Second World War names are listed below the dates 1939 – 1945, whilst the First World War names are recorded on the middle stage of the base.

Alongside the memorial is the wooden Millennium Seat dedicated by the local Branch of the Royal British Legion “IN MEMORY OF OUR MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOW JOINED THEIR COMRADES”. This bench is excluded from the listing.

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, 10 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 04/01/2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/7887
Archives Hub, V&A Archive of Art and Design, accessed 01/08/2016 from http://archiveshub.ac.uk/data/gb73-aad/2013/5
War Memorials Online, accessed 10 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/131369

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