Batheaston War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled in 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial at Batheaston 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:

* as a well-executed memorial using good-quality materials and craftsmanship and with clear architectural design intent.

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: therefore, the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

The memorial at Batheaston stands 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 was dedicated in March 1920 at a ceremony attended by the Bishop of Bath and Wells.

The memorial was later altered, with the addition of a second bronze plaque, to include the names of those lost in the Second World War. It now remembers the names of 28 individuals that died in the First World War and 17 that died in the Second World War.

Details

First World War memorial, unveiled in 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

MATERIALS: the memorial is made of Bath stone. The inscription plates are made of bronze, set into the lower tier of the pedestal base.

DESCRIPTION: standing in the churchyard of St John the Baptist Church in Batheaston, adjacent to the churchyard steps to the south-east of the church. The memorial is a tall medieval cross design on a tapering shaft, set upon a two-tiered octagonal pedestal and a square stepped base with chamfered corners. The upper tier of the pedestal is decorated with a quatrefoil niche in each of its panels, and two bronze name plaques are set within the southern and western panels of the lower tier. The plaque on the southern side of the memorial bears the inscription “THESE GAVE THEIR LIVES/IN THE GREAT WAR/1914-1918” and the names of 28 individuals that lost their lives in the First World War. The plaque on its western side is inscribed with the words “THESE MEN GAVE THEIR LIVES/IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR/1939-1945” and the names of 16 soldiers and one civilian that lost their lives in the Second World War.

Sources

Websites
`Batheaston', War Memorials Online, accessed 05/03/2026 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/237351/
`Batheaston - War Memorials Register', Imperial War Museum, accessed 05/03/2026 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/7558
Somerset County Council Historic Environment Record - Batheaston War Memorial, accessed 13/03/2026 from https://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/72177

Other
Batheaston war memorial. Bath Weekly Chronicle, 27/03/1920, 2, 19
Tablet unveiled at Batheaston. Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald, 15/11/1947, 6

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