Kencot War Memorial, West Oxfordshire

Overview

Heritage Category: Listed Building

Grade: II

List Entry Number: 1459045

Date first listed: 06-Sep-2018

Location Description: Situated on Kencot village green, adjacent to Kencot Cottage, GL7 3QX.

Location

Location Description: Situated on Kencot village green, adjacent to Kencot Cottage, GL7 3QX.

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

National Grid Reference: SP2547804719

Summary

War memorial, unveiled in 1921.

Reasons for Designation

Kencot War Memorial, unveiled in 1921, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest: * for its well-crafted stone pillar on an elaborate octagonal base. 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. Group value: * with the adjacent listed buildings, including the Church of St George, listed at Grade II*.

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, 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 for the grief felt at this great loss.

One such memorial was raised at Kencot, West Oxfordshire, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial commemorates three members of the parish who died in the First World War. Following the Second World War, one further name was added. The builder is presently unknown. The memorial originally had a cross with fleur-de-lys projections between the arms, but this was lost in the 1930s and was not replaced.

Details

War memorial unveiled in 1921.

MATERIALS: stone.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises an octagonal tapering pillar, which is capped with a dome, atop an octagonal plinth. The plinth stands upon a four-stepped octagonal base, which in turn stands upon an octagonal platform step with moulded edges.

The dates 1914/ 1918 are inscribed on the south face of the plinth. The south-west panel of the octagonal platform is inscribed as follows

TO THE MEMORY OF THE MEN/ FROM THIS PARISH WHO LAID DOWN/ THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR

The names of the three fallen from the First World War are inscribed on the south panel of the octagonal platform, with the following inscription on the south-east panel

AND OF THOSE OTHERS WHO/ NOT LESS GALLANTLY SERVED/ THEIR COUNTRY IN THE SAME

The dates 1939/ 1945 are inscribed on the west face of the plinth, with the name of the single fallen from the Second World War inscribed on the west panel of the bottom step of the base below.

Sources

Websites
Imperial War Musuem War Memorials Register, accessed 25 July 2018 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/31554
War Memorials Online, accessed 25 July 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/244580

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.