Brasted War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Brasted War Memorial, set into the wall in front of the village hall, is listed 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 sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: an elegant neoclassical shrine in the form of an archway;
* Group value: with a number of Grade II-listed buildings in close proximity on the High Street.

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 Brasted 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 unveiled on 7 February 1920 by Major Pym, commemorating 27 local servicemen who died in the First World War. Following the Second World War the names of 12 men and one woman who died in that conflict were added.

Details

The war memorial is a shrine in the form of a neoclassical archway set into the front wall before Brasted’s village hall of 1910 (not listed), on the north side of the main road through the village close to the turning to Toys Hill. It has Portland stone ashlar columns supporting a broken pediment. Within, set in local Kentish Ragstone, is an elaborate Portland stone plaque, with a crown above and laurel leaf swags draped to the sides.

The plaque is inscribed IN HONOURED AND/ GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE/ OF THE MEN OF BRASTED WHO/ FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918/ (NAMES)/ 1939-1945 (NAMES)/ FAITHFUL UNTO/ DEATH. Photographs show how the plaque was extended downwards after the Second World War to accommodate the additional inscription. Beneath is a small projecting shelf support by a corbel, and brackets for wreaths.


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, 20 February 2017.

Sources

Websites
Kent War Memorials Project, accessed 10/11/2016 from www.kentfallen.com/PDF%20REPORTS/BRASTED.pdf
Brasted Village Website, accessed 10/11/2016 from http://www.brasted.co.uk/History/brastedandtoyshill.htm
War Memorials Register, accessed 20 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/16105
War Memorials Online, accessed 20 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/107809

Other
The Chronicle and Courier, 13 February 1920

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.

Print the official list entry