Wootton Peace Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, 1920.

Reasons for Designation

Wootton Peace Memorial, which is situated in St Mary’s churchyard, 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:
* An elegant war memorial which takes the more unusual form of a sundial;

Group value:
* For its relationship with the Church of St Mary (Grade II*-listed), School Cottages (Grade II-listed) and several Grade II-listed chest tombs.

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 Wootton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community, who lost their lives in the First World War. It was unveiled on 14 November 1920 by the Duke of Marlborough.

A tablet carrying the names of those from the parish who died during the war is inside St Mary's Church.

Details

First World War memorial, 1920.

MATERIALS: Somerset stone, bronze, stone.

DESCRIPTION: Wootton War Memorial is located to the south-west corner of St Mary’s churchyard overlooking Church Street. It is in close proximity to the Church of St Mary (Grade II*-listed), School Cottages (Grade II-listed) and several Grade II-listed chest tombs.

The memorial is of Somerset stone and takes the form of a square block sundial with a bronze gnomon to the south face and a Latin cross incised into the north face. The sundial has a moulded base and cap, which is surmounted by a globe. This crowns a tapering octagonal shaft, which rises from a chamfered octagonal base upon a square plinth with chamfered top corners and moulded foot. The whole is atop a three-stepped, square base of coursed stone. Plaques are affixed to the south face of the top and middle step of the base.

To the base of the shaft, incised into the south face, is the inscription: PRO PATRIA/ 1914 – 1919. Directly below incised to the plinth are the words: AS THE SUNNY HOURS DIRECT OUR THOUGHTS ABOVE/ SO THE LIVES OF VALIANT MEN/ LEAD US TO HIM WHO IS THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.


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, 1 September 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 30 June 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/31728
Geograph, accessed 30 June 2017 from http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5195264
‘Oxfordshire Country Walk – Cotswolds – Blenheim Palace – Woodstock to Wootton Round’, Walking with the Taxi Driver, accessed 30 June 2017 from http://www.walkingwiththetaxidriver.co.uk/the-walks/oxfordshire/cotswolds-blenheim-palace-woodstock-to-wootton-round/
War Memorials Online, accessed 1 September 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/195943

Other
‘Town and County News Extracts’, Banbury Advertiser, (18 November 1920), pp6

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