Summary

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

Description

The memorial stands on a small Green at a road junction in the village. Constructed from Aberdeen granite, the memorial is in the form of a moulded wheel-head cross on a rectangular tapered plinth and square base. The memorial stands 2.6m high and is surrounded by a square area of kerbed paving. The raised kerbs carry a low leaf spear-point metal fence, over which a metal chain-link is suspended from metal posts at the corners and centre-points.

The memorial is inscribed on the front of the plinth ERECTED/ TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF BOURN/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ 1939 – 1945/ (1 NAME). The rear of the plinth is inscribed PASS NOT THIS STONE IN SORROW/ BUT IN PRIDE/ AND MAY YOU LIVE AS NOBLY/ AS THEY DIED. The names of the servicemen who were killed during the First World War are inscribed on the remaining sides of the plinth.

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, 16 January 2017.

History

The memorial was unveiled on 21 November 1920 by Colonel C T Heycock. The mason was Mr W Wade, the builder was Sydney Gauge and the manufacturers, Messrs Macintosh. The decision to erect a cross was arrived at by house-to-house voting, the result being 356 votes for the cross and 267 for a new set of church bells with accompanying dedicatory tablet inside the church. War Memorials Trust funded the repainting of the lettering in 2010.

Reasons for Listing

Bourn War Memorial, which stands on the Green at the junction of Short Street and High Street, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reason:
* 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.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26677274

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets