Ramsden War Memorial

Junction of High Street & Akerman Street, Ramsden, Oxfordshire, OX7 3BA

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Ramsden War Memorial, a First World War memorial, located at the centre of the village. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1465134
Date first listed:: 16-Aug-2019
List Entry Name:: Ramsden War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Junction of High Street & Akerman Street, Ramsden, Oxfordshire, OX7 3BA

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1465134
Date first listed:: 16-Aug-2019
List Entry Name:: Ramsden War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Junction of High Street & Akerman Street, Ramsden, Oxfordshire, OX7 3BA

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: Junction of High Street & Akerman Street, Ramsden, Oxfordshire, OX7 3BA

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

County:: Oxfordshire
District:: West Oxfordshire (District Authority)
Parish:: Ramsden
National Grid Reference:: SP3567015222

Summary

Ramsden War Memorial, a First World War memorial, located at the centre of the village.

Reasons for Designation

Ramsden War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* for its accomplished and unusual design, taking the form of a Classical tomb or mausoleum surmounted by an obelisk or spire; * the architect, Levi Dore, is of local interest, and is responsible for other known designs in Ramsden, including a listed house of similar date.

Historic interest:

* as a poignant reminder of the tragic impact of world events upon this village community. Group value:

* with listed buildings at the centre of the village, including A. W. Blomfield’s 1872 Church of St James, which contains a memorial by Levi Dore, with a former Methodist chapel of 1804, with the mid-C18 Royal Oak Public House, with Inglenook; with Dore’s Cottage to the south and the C17 Akeman Cottage to the north, and with Inglenook, a house of 1907 designed by Levi Dore, a little further to the north.

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 both of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided an important focus for grief. One such memorial was raised at Ramsden as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 15 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The designer of the war memorial was Levi Dore, one of two brothers who were local builders and craftsmen. Levi was also the architect of Inglenook, a house of 1907 standing a little to the north of the war memorial, and of a date tablet in the Church of St James in memory of William Buckingham, whose name is included on the village memorial. A C16 or C17 cottage immediately to the south of the war memorial is known as Dore’s Cottage.

Details

First World War memorial, located at the centre of the village, at the junction between Ramsden High Street and Akerman Street, to the north of the Church of St James.

MATERIALS: stone, on a pedestal of rendered brick and rubblestone, with marble panels.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial takes the form of a miniature mausoleum, with a square central block enclosed by round-headed arches springing from Corinthian columns; the design has a Jacobean flavour. From the centre of the roof rises an octagonal obelisk or spire, crowned by a torch finial. A marble panel is set into each face of the central block, bearing the incised names of the dead with the cause of death – ‘KILLED IN ACTION’, 'DIED OF WOUNDS’ or ‘DIED OF FEVER’ – and date of death. The lunette above each panel is carved with a laurel wreath and a banner with lettering. The substantial pedestal is octagonal on plan, rising to a square. The whole is set on a shallow octagonal cement base set with pebbles.

Sources

Websites
National Inventory of War Memorials, accessed 14 June 2019 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/31633
Photos of Ramsden War Memorial's inscriptions, accessed 14 June 2019 from http://www.wargunner.co.uk/more/mem_ramsden.htm
War Memorials Online, accessed 14 June 2019 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/232799/

Legal

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