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Summary

Memorial to the fallen of both World Wars.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1438720: Salcombe War Memorial and Shelter Memorial and Shelter

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WAR MEMORIAL (World War I to World War II - 1914 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Walls, S., 2010, The Materiality of Remembrance: Twentieth Century War Memorials in Devon, 172, 374; Figure 5.48d; SAL13, SAL45 (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV355902.

Ring crosses were opted for by the majority of parishes on the Kingsbridge estuary with First World War examples recorded for Salcombe, Malborough, South Milton, and Sherford. This concentration of ring crosses accounts for most of the examples (60%) from the region, and probably reflects the work of the same mason (F. Cole of Salcombe).

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

'War Memorial' marked.

Brine, M. E., 2013, War Memorials, Photo (Website). SDV351333.

In a glorious position, the memorial at Salcombe commemorates victims of the bombing of Salcombe (Second World War), the lost lifeboat crew (First World War) and men from both wars.
Brine's photo shows a granite cross on a square, stepped base.

Imperial War Museum, 2014, War Memorials Archive, 65489 (Website). SDV356253.

Historic England, 2016, Salcombe War Memorial and Shelter, Cliff Road, Salcombe, South Hams, Devon (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV359957.

Notification that Historic England is considering added the war memorial to the List as part of their response to the centenary of the First World War and have completed an initial assessment.
History
Following the end of the First World War, a memorial was proposed to commemorate the residents of Salcombe who had died fighting in the conflict. The terraced land in front of Cliff House was donated by Mr A McIlwraith for the memorial. A shelter was erected; its roof serving as the base for the war memorial raising it level with the road. At the same time the road was widened to create a public thoroughfare. The memorial was unveiled on 7 April 1921. In addition to bearing the names of those who died during the First World War, it included a dedication to the Salcombe Lifeboat Disaster, in which 13 members of a 15 man lifeboat crew tragically died when their boat overturned while returning from a call to aid a grounded schooner at Lannacombe Bay on 27 October 1916. In 1949 further names and a set of decorative gates were added to the memorial to commemorate those who died during
Second World War. Also added to the base were the names of the civilians who died during bombing raids on Salcombe between 1941-3. To either side of the memorial two detached Second World War commemorative shelters were also erected.
Details
A First World War memorial, unveiled in 1921. Further names were added to the memorial following the Second World War.
MATERIALS: granite memorial with black-painted lettering on polished granite surfaces, painted-metal gates, and rubble stone faced walls to the shelter below.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial cross stands in an elevated position above a contemporary flat-roofed shelter which looks out over the estuary. The memorial cross has a large, square base on a raised platform, with a two-tier plinth and a square shaft topped by wheel cross. The north face of the plinth reads ‘THE MONUMENT IS ERECTED/ TO THE HONOURED MEMORY OF/ SALCOMBE MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WARS/ 1914-1918 1939-1945/ AND THE THIRTEEN MEN LOST IN THE LIFEBOAT DISASTER OF OCTOBER 27th 1916’. The side faces of the plinth carry the names of the Fallen, and the south face bears the names of the lost lifeboatmen. The north face of the base includes the names of Fallen, both servicemen and civilians, from the Second World War. The memorial cross is surrounded by tubular-metal railings. A set of decorative, painted metal gates to the low stone wall in front of the memorial carry the dates of both the First and Second World Wars. Beneath the memorial cross is a rectangular structure with a maintenance room to the rear and a shelter facing onto the waterside, with a large stone archway on the south side and a round-arched window to both returns.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: a stone wall runs between the memorial and the road and it is topped by a pair of metal street lamps. To either side of the memorial is a flight of steps leading to down to public toilets on a terrace. In turn each flight is flanked by a pair of identical flat-roofed shelters with a terrace above, bounded by tubular-metal railings; they are built against the boundary wall and were added following the Second World War. The south elevation of each shelter is open, with a supporting stone-clad square pillar in the middle. Within each shelter is a long timber bench. Both shelters originally had stone plaques dedicated to those parish who died during the Second World War; only the western shelter retains its commemorative stone.

Upon consideration it has been decided to add the war memorial to the list.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION
Salcombe War Memorial and shelter are recommended for listing 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 sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
Architectural interest: it is an elegant wheel-cross memorial on an elevated position above a well-considered shelter;
Context: its elevated position overlooking Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary has added significance given its commemoration of the 1916 Salcombe lifeboat disaster.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1438720 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

Salcombe War Memorial and Shelter.
Summary of Building
A First World War memorial and shelter, unveiled in 1921. Further names were added to the memorial following the Second World War. Only the section of Cliff Road wall within the blue mapped area is included in the listing. .
Reasons for Designation
The Salcombe War Memorial and shelter 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 sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: it has an elegant wheel-cross memorial on an elevated position above a well-considered shelter;
* Context: its elevated position overlooking the Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary has added significance given its commemoration of the 1916 Salcombe lifeboat disaster.
History
Following the end of the First World War, a memorial was proposed to commemorate the residents of Salcombe who had died fighting in the conflict. The terraced land in front of Cliff House was donated by Mr A McIlwraith for the memorial. A shelter was erected, its roof serving as the base for the war memorial raising it level with the road. A public garden, with a network of paths was laid out on the terraced land below the memorial, accessed by pair of steps (not listed) leading down from street level. At the same time the road was widened to create a public thoroughfare. The memorial was unveiled on 7 April 1921. In addition to bearing the names of those who died during the First World War, it included a dedication to the Salcombe Lifeboat Disaster, in which 13 members of a 15 man lifeboat crew tragically died when their boat overturned while returning from a call to aid a grounded schooner at Lannacombe Bay on 27 October 1916. In 1949 further names were added to the plinth, and a set of decorative gates to the Cliff Road entrance, to commemorate those who had died during Second World War. Also added to the plinth were the names of the civilians who died during bombing raids on Salcombe between 1941-3. At this time a pair of memorial shelters were also erected within the public garden (not listed). The memorial plinth lettering was repaired and the commemorative iron gates underwent restoration in the early C21.
Details
A First World War memorial and shelter, unveiled in 1921. Further names were added to the memorial following the Second World War. Only the section of Cliff Road wall within the blue mapped area is included in the listing.
MATERIALS: granite memorial with black-painted lettering on polished granite surfaces, painted-metal gates, and rubble stone faced walls to the shelter below.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial cross stands in an elevated position above a contemporary flat-roofed shelter which looks out over the Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary. The memorial cross has a large, square base on a raised platform, with a two-tier plinth and a square shaft topped by a wheel cross. The north face of the plinth reads ‘THE MONUMENT IS ERECTED/ TO THE HONOURED MEMORY OF/ SALCOMBE MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WARS/ 1914-1918 + 1939-1945/ AND THE THIRTEEN MEN LOST IN THE LIFEBOAT DISASTER OF OCTOBER 27th 1916’. The side faces of the plinth carry the names of the Fallen, and the south face bears the names of the lost lifeboat crew. The north face of the base includes the names of Fallen, both servicemen and civilians, from the Second World War. The memorial cross is surrounded by tubular-metal railings. A decorative, painted metal gate, attached to the low stone wall in front of the memorial, carries the dates of both the First and Second World Wars. The memorial cross stands on the roof of a shelter that is accessible from the garden below, with large stone archway on the south side and a round-arched window to both returns, within which is a seating area. To the rear of the shelter is a maintenance room.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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