Summary
First World War memorial by Messrs Cole and Barton of Radstock. Erected in 1925, with later additions for the Second World War and the Iraq Conflict.
Reasons for Designation
Radstock War Memorial, erected in 1925 to a design by Messrs Cole and Barton, 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 and early C21.
Architectural interest:
* a Latin cross on top of a tall octagonal shaft, standing on an octagonal plinth.
Group value:
* with the Grade II-listed Radstock Market Hall.
History
The aftermath of the First World War saw an unprecedented wave of public commemoration with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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 Radstock, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Plans for a war memorial in Radstock started at a vestry meeting of St Nicholas’ Church, on 23 April 1919, for a memorial placed in the church. The Parochial Church Council struggled to raise funds, and the memorial was not finished until 1924. Also in 1924, a War Committee was formed, to raise funds for a new memorial, to be placed in Victoria Square.
The memorial was designed by Messrs Cole and Barton, of Radstock, constructed by Mr H J Tovey, of Midsomer Norton and the bronze panels were cast by Mr F Humphreys of Midsomer Norton. The monument cost £267 12s 3d.
The monument was unveiled on 17 June 1925, by the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, the Marquis of Bath KG, and dedicated by Canon A N Bax (who was also chair of the War Committee).
Two plaques were added to the memorial following the Second World War, and a third added to commemorate a soldier killed in the Iraq Conflict. The memorial was moved to its present site in 2004, and renovated in 2014.
Details
First World War memorial by Messrs Cole and Barton of Radstock. Erected in 1925, with later additions for the Second World War and Iraq Conflict.
MATERIALS: Carved in Portland Stone, with bronze panels.
DESCRIPTION: The monument comprises a Latin cross on top of a tall, octagonal shaft. The top of the shaft (below the cross) is decorated with simple blind tracery. The shaft rises from an octagonal plinth that bears a number of memorial bronze plaques, and the plinth stands on three low steps, surrounded by a low iron railing.
The plaques are inscribed 1939 1945 / (NAMES) / CONTINUED ON OPPOSITE PANEL // (NAMES) // TO THE / GLORY OF GOD / AND IN GRATEFUL / REMEMBRANCE / OF THE / MEN OF RADSTOCK / WHO FELL IN DEFENCE / OF THEIR COUNTRY / 1914 1918 / 1939 1945 // (NAMES) // 1939 1945 / CONTINUED / (NAMES) // IRAQ CONFLICT / (NAME) / OF THE / ROYAL SCOTS DRAGOON GUARDS / (DATES) //.
