Fosbury and Oxenwood War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial with Second World War additions.

Reasons for Designation

Fosbury and Oxenwood War Memorial, which is situated at the north side of Fosbury Vernham Dean, 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 well-executed Celtic wheel-head cross with a finely carved interlaced knot work design.

Group value:

* with the Grade II*-listed Christ Church and Grade II-listed Buchan House.

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 between Fosbury and Oxenwood as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 15 members of these local communities who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was presumably erected not long after the end of the conflict, and was in situ by the Ordnance Survey County Series 25in map published in 1924.

Following the Second World War a stone tablet was placed at the foot of the memorial carrying the name of the single casualty from that conflict.

Details

First World War memorial with Second World War additions.

DESCRIPTION: The memorial is located to the north of the road between Fosbury and Oxenwood, within an enclosed grassed area. It is to the west of the Grade II*-listed Christ Church and Grade II-listed Buchan House, the former vicarage.

It is of Cornish granite and takes the form of a Celtic wheel-head cross with a tapering shaft; an interlaced knot work design is carved in relief to the south-west face of the cross-head and part of the shaft. This rises from a tapering, four-sided plinth with a rectangular foot. The inscriptions and names are all in leaded lettering.

The main inscription is to the south-west face of the plinth and reads THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918/ TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ IN EVER GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE LOYAL SONS OF/ FOSBURY AND OXENWOOD/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR KING, COUNTRY AND LIBERTY/ "THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE"/ (15 NAMES). The list of names also includes their regiment and date of death.

A rectangular, granite tablet abuts the south-west face of the plinth foot; a second inscription is on the upper surface of the tablet and reads 1939-1945/ (NAME)/ ROYAL OAK/ 14TH OCTOBER 1939.


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, 31 January 2018.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 10 October 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/24113
‘Fosbury and Oxenwood War Memorial’, Wiltshire Online Parish Clerks, accessed 10 October 2017 from http://www.wiltshire-opc.org.uk/Items/Tidcombe/Tidcombe%20-%20Fosbury%20&%20Oxenwood%20War%20Memorial.pdf
War Memorials Online, accessed 31 January 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/241845

Other
OS Map 25” (1924 edn)

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