Summary
First World War memorial with names of those who fell in the Second World War added later.
Reasons for Designation
Naphill War Memorial, which stands on the east corner of Main Road and Downley Road, Naphill, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reason:
* 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.
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 which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Naphill, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Details
Situated on the corner of a crossroad, adjacent to the village hall, Naphill War Memorial takes the form of a smooth-sided cairn of local sand stone. It is composed of a number of large stones, the gaps between them filled with smaller stones bedded in with mortar. This stands on a square random-rubble stone dais with a stone plaque on two sides. The plaque to the front bears the inscription:
End of official list entry
