Summary
A community war memorial which stands by the roadside, adjacent to the village playing fields at Silchester.
Description
A community war memorial, commemorating the dead of two World Wars, which stands by the roadside adjacent to the village playing fields, erected in 1919 and altered after 1945.
MATERIALS & PLAN: a granite war memorial with lead lettering. The memorial takes the form of an upright pylon, surrounded by a square enclosure.
DESCRIPTION: Silchester War Memorial is located at the roadside of Little London Road.
It consists of a roughly hewn stone of remembrance of square section, with a smooth central panel to the centre of its western face which carries an inscription and names in painted lead lettering. The inscription reads TO THE MEMORY OF / THE MEN OF SILCHESTER / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1918 / (NAMES) / “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS” / ALSO THOSE WHO FELL / IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR / 1939 – 1945 / (NAMES) / “GOD MADE TRIAL OF THEM / AND FOUND THEM WORTHY”. Below the stone is a square base. A flagged path approaches the monument from the west.
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. One such memorial was raised at Silchester 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 monument was built in 1919.
It commemorates six local servicemen who died during the First World War. Following the Second World War, a dedication was added to commemorate the six Fallen of that conflict.
In 2005 the memorial was conserved with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust.
Reasons for Listing
Silchester 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:
* as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial, which takes the form of a granite pylon with base.
Group value:
* with The Stores (Grade II) and Vine Cottage (Grade II), which also border the village playing field.
External Links
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
Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)