Chilworth (St Martha) War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial.

Reasons for Designation

Chilworth (St Martha) war memorial, which is situated within a small landscaped area at the eastern end of Chilworth village along Dorking 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 sacrifice it has made during the First World War;

Architectural interest:
* A simple yet dignified Latin cross memorial influenced by Blomfield’s Cross of Sacrifice.

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 Chilworth as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by six members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was presumably erected not long after the end of the war and was originally sited off Dorking Road toward the eastern boundary of Chilworth village. The memorial was moved slightly further west along Dorking Road in 1975 due to a road widening scheme.

The memorial has received grants from the War Memorials Trust, both in 2001 and 2014, to aid its conservation and repair. In 2014 the grant funding went towards the replacement of the base of the memorial as the steps were showing signs of deterioration. The replacement base followed the same form as the original and the inscription on the upper step was re-cut into the new stone in the same font and style as before.

Details

First World War memorial.

MATERIALS: stone, bronze.

DETAILS: Chilworth War Memorial is situated within a small landscaped area at the eastern end of Chilworth village, along Dorking Road.

The memorial takes the form of a stone Latin cross rising from a square plinth with a chamfered top and moulded foot, surmounting a three-stepped octagonal base. An inverted bronze sword is attached to the front of the cross in a similar style to the Blomfield Cross of Sacrifice. Bronze plaques are affixed to three sides of the plinth carrying the principal inscription on one plaque and the six names on the remaining two.
The inscription is to the front face in relief lettering, and reads: IN GRATITUDE TO/ ALMIGHTY GOD/ FOR THE GLORIOUS MEMORY/ OF THOSE WHO GOING FORTH / FROM THIS PARISH OF SAINT/ MARTHA GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919. Below, incised into the upper step of the base are the words: HOLD SUCH/ IN/ HONOUR.

The memorial stands on a square, paved area enclosed by a shrub border. A path leads up to the memorial from the road.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 16 June 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/23226
War Memorials Online, accessed 16 June 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/83976
‘Chilworth Village’, They Gave Their Today, accessed 16 June 2017 from http://www.theygavetheirtoday.com/chilworth.html
War Memorials Trust, accessed 16 June 2017 from http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=321

Other
OS Map 1:2500 (1935 edn)

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