Summary

A war memorial cenotaph of 1921 date.

Description

A war memorial cenotaph of 1921 date.

MATERIALS: dressed Bath stone.

DESCRIPTION: a cenotaph on a three-stepped square base and plinth. There are moulded panels with a wreath detail above to the front and side faces of the cenotaph. Above the panels is a band, inscribed to the front: DUTY NOBLY DONE. Above the band are bronze eagle wings to the front and bronze crossed rifles and helmet to the sides. The front panel is inscribed: THIS MEMORIAL/ IS ERECTED/ BY THE INHABITANTS/ OF CORSHAM TO BE A/ PERMANENT TOKEN/ OF THEIR GRATITUDE/ TO ALL WHO DIED FOR/ THEM IN THE WAR OF/ 1914 - 1918/ AND ESPECIALLY THE/ MEN OF CORSHAM/ NAMED HEREON. The plinth below is inscribed: ALSO THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939 - 1945/ AND IN OTHER THEATRES OF WAR. The panels and plinth to the sides are inscribed with the names of the fallen.

The cenotaph stands next to a memorial garden.

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, 3 July 2017.

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 which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Corsham 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 war memorial to men of Corsham who fell in the First World War was unveiled on 30 January 1921. The names of the fallen in the Second World War were added later.

Reasons for Listing

Corsham 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;

* Architectural interest: a well-crafted cenotaph in dressed Bath stone;

* Degree of survival: the structure is unaltered;

* Group value: on a prominent road junction close to listed buildings including The Hungerford Almshouses (Grade I), and is within the Registered Park and Garden of Corsham Court (Grade II*).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478817

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.

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