Summary

A First World War memorial, unveiled in 1925; with later additions.

Description

A First World War memorial, dating from 1924-5, altered after the Second World War.

MATERIALS: stone, granite and Italian marble.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial takes the form of a statue of Hope, shown with her anchor, on a moulded and carved base, which stands on a tall, square-section plinth with deeply-moulded cap and foot. The faces of the plinth are set with polished granite plaques bearing inscriptions picked out in gold lettering: TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE MEN / OF KINGSBRIDGE AND
DODBROOKE / WHO LOST THEIR LIVES / AS A RESULT OF THE / GREAT WAR 1914-1918 / DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI / followed by the names of the 68 soldiers who had died in the conflict/ 1939-1945 / followed by the names of 30 soldiers and 16 of the civilians who had lost their lives in the Second World War. The memorial stands on a three-stepped platform of rough-faced granite, within an area of paving.

History

The war memorial in Kingsbridge was erected in 1924-5 at a cost of £350, as part of the great wave of commemoration of the sacrifice made by the fallen from communities across the country. The memorial to the soldiers of Kingsbridge and Dodbrooke, which was set up at a prominent and peaceful location on the Promenade Gardens, was unveiled on 11 November 1925 by Maj Gen E W Alexander, VC. The memorial was altered after the Second World War, by the addition of the names of the soldiers who had died in that conflict, together with those of a group of civilians who had been killed in the town in small-scale bombing raids on 2 January and 16 February 1943.

Reasons for Listing

Kingsbridge and Dodbrooke War Memorial 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; it includes the names of civilians killed in local small-scale bombing raids;
* Design interest: a well-executed memorial, surmounted by a good, sculpted figure of Hope with an anchor.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26677994

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)