Summary

First and Second World War memorial. Erected in 1921 with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.

Description

First World War memorial. Erected in 1921. Architect unknown.

MATERIALS: granite memorial cross with bronze sword and lead lettering.

DESCRIPTION: Eynsham War Memorial comprises a granite wheel-headed cross with a bronze reversed sword on its front face. The cross rises from a tapering shaft which sits on a square plinth and two stepped base.

The front face of the plinth carries the main dedication TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND / IN PROUD MEMORY OF / THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS / NON – COMMISSIONED OFFICERS / AND MEN OF THIS PARISH / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1918 / “DYING AND BEHOLD WE LIVE” / (NAMES) / AND 1939 – 1945. On the two sides of the plinth and the front faces of the steps are the names of the fallen.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw an unprecedented wave of public commemoration with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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 unveiled at Eynsham on 2 April 1921, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It commemorates 50 local servicemen who died during the First World War – 17% of the population of the village. The memorial also names 3 members of the Eynsham Morris Men. Following the Second World War, a dedication was added to commemorate the 18 fallen of that conflict. The land the memorial is located on was purchased through a subscription fund from the nearby public house.

The memorial was conserved in 2008 with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust.

Reasons for Listing

Eynsham War Memorial, erected in 1921, 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;
* Design: a granite wheel headed cross bearing a bronze longsword mounted point downwards, reminiscent of Sir Reginald Blomfield’s Cross of Sacrifice;
* Group value: with the Church of St Leonard (Grade II*), the scheduled market cross, the Red Lion (Grade II), the Bartholomew Room (Grade II) and the Grade II listed houses around The Square.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478867

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

• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)