Colerne War Memorial

Summary

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

Reasons for Designation

Colerne War Memorial, which stands in the Market Place, 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:

* A slender and locally-designed memorial cross in Bath stone;

Group value:

* With the Grade II-listed Walmesley memorial and surrounding railings, numerous adjacent buildings listed at Grade II, and the Church of St John the Baptist (Grade I).

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 erected by public subscription in Colerne, in commemoration of 14 local servicemen who died in the First World War. It was designed by local mason Joel Weeks. The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 28 November 1920 by the Right Honourable Walter Long MP, Lord Lieutenant of the County and First Lord of the Admiralty.

Following the Second World War an additional dedication marking the deaths of 20 men in that conflict was added. The memorial was restored in 2015, with financial assistance from Corsham Area Board (Wiltshire Council).

Details

Colerne War Memorial stands on a small area of grass on the edge of the Market Place, close to the Walmesley memorial (Grade II) and surrounded by numerous buildings listed at Grade II and the Church of St John the Baptist (Grade I).

The Bath stone memorial comprises a tapering Latin cross rising from a moulded collar, on top of a tall octagonal shaft. The cross shaft is set on a large four-sided, tiered plinth with corner buttresses. Each buttress is faced with a blind trefoil arch. The principal faces of the plinth carry the dedication and commemorated names. The memorial has a two-stage sloping base and stands on a square stone slab.

The main inscription reads FOR KING AND COUNTRY/ IN LASTING MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS VILLAGE/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ ERECTED BY/ PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTIONS with below 1939 – 1945/ (2 NAMES). The remaining names commemorated on the plinth faces include the First World War combatants, with the later Second World War casualties listed below the earlier names.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 9 May 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/23959
War Memorials Online, accessed 9 May 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/216223
Corsham Community Area website, accessed 9 May 2017 from http://corsham.ourcommunitymatters.org.uk/news/the-colerne-war-memorial-project/

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