Higher Tale War Memorial
Higher Tale, Near Peyhembury, Devon, EX14 3HJ
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1461780
- Date first listed:
- 28-Feb-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Higher Tale War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Higher Tale, Near Peyhembury, Devon, EX14 3HJ
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1461780
- Date first listed:
- 28-Feb-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Higher Tale War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Higher Tale, Near Peyhembury, Devon, EX14 3HJ
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Higher Tale, Near Peyhembury, Devon, EX14 3HJ
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Devon
- District:
- East Devon (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Payhembury
- National Grid Reference:
- ST0666701494
Summary
A First World War Memorial, erected around 1920.
Reasons for Designation
Higher Tale War Memorial, Payhembury is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* As a touching reminder of the tragic and personal loss of one family during the First World War; and the connection to those who volunteered to fight from overseas.
Architectural interest:
* for its reflection of the rural character of the area through its craftsmanship and use of local materials.
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 750,000 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 Higher Tale in the parish of Payhembury as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by two brothers, William and Henry Pratt who were born locally but emigrated to Canada during the early C20. They subsequently lost their lives while serving with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in France. They are also commemorated on the Payhembury War Memorial.
Works to clean the memorial and repaint the inscription were carried out in 2017 following a grant from the War Memorials Trust in 2017.
Details
A First World War Memorial, erected around 1920
MATERIAL: granite.
DESCRIPTION: Higher Tale War Memorial stands on the grass verge at the junction of two lanes near Higher Tale Farm. It takes the form of a rough-hewn granite obelisk rising from a tapering plinth, square on plan, on a square base.
The east face of the plinth is smooth in comparison and bears the incised inscription TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ IN LOVING MEMORY OF/ SERGT HENRY PRATT/ CAN MGC/ COY SERGT MAJOR WILLIAM PRATT/ 3RD BATT TORONTO REGT/ OF THIS PLACE/ 1914 – 1918. The north face of the plinth reads THY WILL BE DONE. The south face reads INTERRED IN FRANCE
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Trust, accessed 29 November 2018 from http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=1437
Library and Archives of Canada, accessed 29 November 2018 from http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/Pages/introduction.aspx#g
War Memorials Online Database, Higher Tale War Memorial WMO222581, accessed 14.12.2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/222581
Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register: Sgt H Pratt and Sgt Maj W Pratt, accessed 14.12.2018 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/25322
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 23-Jun-2026 at 20:49:53.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.