Speen War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Speen War Memorial, which stands at the junction of Speen Lane and Bath 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 sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: an elegant war memorial in contrasting brick and Portland stone;
* Group value: with numerous Grade II-listed buildings gathered around the road junction.

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 Speen 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 war memorial was designed by Mr WA Forsythe of Hanover Square, London, and was built by Mr E B Hitchman of Newbury. The carving and lettering were undertaken by Mr Blair of Eton and Messrs Thorn and Sons of Newbury. The memorial was dedicated in August 1921 by Reverend R Gibbs and was unveiled by Major-General Mahon. It commemorates 19 local servicemen who died in the First World War, with six names being added following the Second World War.

The memorial has been repaired on a number of occasions, including in 1974 and 1991 when it was hit by a car. In 2014 the memorial was conserved with the help of grant aid from the War Memorials Trust.

Details

MATERIALS: Brick and Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: Speen War Memorial stands on a triangular grassed area in the junction of Speen Lane and Bath Road. The road junction is surrounded by a number of Grade II-listed buildings. It consists of a tall brick pillar raised on a Portland stone base. The corniced pillar is surmounted by stone block on which stands an ornate stone cross with carved scroll and fruit detailing. The whole stands on a concrete base.

The principal dedicatory inscription reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF THE/ PARISHIONERS OF SPEEN/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918, with to the rear: THEY DIED THAT THOSE/ THEY LOVED MIGHT LIVE. The front face of the column carries two stone tablets. The upper tablet lists the names of those who died in the First World War, whilst the lower lists the men who died in the Second World War.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: The memorial and green are surrounded by stone posts that carry a spiked chain.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 10 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
West Berkshire War Memorials Project, accessed 26/07/2016 from http://westberkshirewarmemorials.org.uk/memorial.php?link=WB032
War Memorials Trust, Grants Showcase, accessed 10/08/2016 from http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=1263
War Memorials Online, accessed 10 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/143846
War Memorials Register, accessed 10 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/9094

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