See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Memorial to the fallen of both World Wars. Restored in 2010.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1438719: Membury War Memorial

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WAR MEMORIAL (World War I to XXI - 1914 AD to 2010 AD (Between))

Full description

Walls, S., 2010, The Materiality of Remembrance: Twentieth Century War Memorials in Devon, 231; MEM01 (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV355902.

The lack of names upon external symbolic war memorials is also repeated in several other instances in East Devon, including Membury.

Read, A., + Trick, S., 2013, Blackdown Hills AONB War Memorials (Report - Survey). SDV352538.

Large plain stone cross on square base above road
Two plaques, one to WWI, one to Second. First is built into the stone, second is a bronze plaque attached below.
[First WW:]
IN MEMORY OF THE SACRIFICES MADE DURING THE GREAT WAR AUGUST 1914 NOVEMBER 1918 “BY THIS SIGN THOU SHALT CONQUER”[Second WW:] 1939-1945 [names]
Unusual no names listed for WWI. Also unusual reference to conquering -this was almost taboo on most memorials. Lacks words on WWII plaque but lists services, useful.It was designed by Caroe. The War Memorial Committee of 1920 decided not to put the names of the dead on the memorial - but we have a plaque in the Church listing the dead. However the names of the dead in WW2 are on the memorial. In the Village Hall we also have lists (made at the time) of all those who fought in both WWs.
Good Condition. 5 names inscribed.
Surveyed 12/05/2013

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

'War Meml' marked.

Read, A., 2013, Membury War Memorial (Ground Photograph). SDV356580.

War Memorials Trust, 2013, Untitled Source, WM3119; Photo (Website). SDV351942.

This war memorial cross is located outside St John the Baptist Church. The memorial consists of a cross on a plinth and two-stepped base. The shaft of the cross and plinth are made from limestone and the steps are made of lias limestone, which is a local stone originally quarried from the now closed Tolcis quarry close to Membury. There is a metal plaque on the memorial dedicated to those killed in World War Two and there is also a stone tablet on the wall in front of the memorial which holds the dedicatory inscription for World War One.
In 2010, War Memorials Trust gave a grant of £1,380 towards conservation and repair works to the memorial. The main concern was the condition of the steps. These had suffered from frost damage and were cracked and split and there was also a large amount of open joints. If the cracks and joints remain open the memorial would just continue to suffer from further frost damage and water ingress and deteriorate further. Therefore the grant works included initially cleaning the memorial with low-pressure deionised water and non-metallic brushes to remove the large amount of vegetation, moss and biological growth on the memorial to assess its condition and to be able to undertake the repairs. All failed joints were raked out by hand and re-pointed in lime mortar. Four stones which were so badly damaged that they could not be repaired were replaced in matching Tolcis stone. The remainder of the cracks were repaired with resin. The stone inscription tablet was cleaned in the same manner as the memorial and a crack on the plaque was repaired with polyester resin and a previous cement repair which had failed was repaired with lime mortar.

The memorial is believed to have been erected in 1921. The inscription on the World War I tablet reads:
'In memory of
the sacrifices made
during the Great War
August 1914 November 1918
By this sign thou shalt
conquer"

Historic England, 2016, Membury War Memorial, Membury (Correspondence). SDV359878.

Notification that the war memorial has been added to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. It was 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 sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;
Architectural interest: a simple yet striking Latin cross;
Designer: by the ecclesiastical architect W D Caroe;
Group value: with the Church of St John the Baptist (Grade I).

Historic England, 2016, Membury War Memorial, Outside St John the Baptist Church, Membury,
Devon, 1438719 (Correspondence). SDV359941.

Notification that Historic England are currently considering whether the war memorial has special architectural or historic interest.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

Membury War Memorial.
Summary of Building
First World War memorial, designed by W D Caroe, with Second World War additions.
Reasons for Designation
Membury 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 simple yet striking Latin cross; * Designer: by the ecclesiastical architect W D Caroe; * Group value: with the Church of St John the Baptist (Grade I). .
History
The topic of a war memorial at Membury was first discussed at a meeting held in March 1919. At this time three schemes were considered: a memorial cross, memorial bells and a clubroom. At the meeting it was determined that the schemes to provide a memorial cross and an extension to the existing clubroom would be pursued with a public subscription allowing contributors to assign their gift to one or other project.
The memorial was designed by ecclesiastical architect W D Caroe (1857-1938). Caroe had previously undertaken some work for Membury church and so the vicar, Rev Langdon recommended him to the committee to design the war memorial.
Caroe had been appointed as an architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, becoming Senior Architect in 1895. A member of the Art Workers’ Guild, he ran a very successful London practice, winning both ecclesiastical and secular commissions. In addition to architectural work, he also designed a number of important church monuments, including those to Archbishop Temple in Canterbury Cathedral, Bishop Owen in St David’s Cathedral, Bishop Ridding in Southwell Cathedral, and Bishop Satterlee and Bishop Harding in Washington Cathedral, USA.
The memorial was built by Ham Hill and Doulting Stone Co Ltd of Norton-sub-Hamdon, Somerset and erected by local masons R Woolcott and J Denlow. The Blue Lias stone which forms the foundation was a local stone quarried from the now-closed Tolcis quarry close to Membury and it was gifted by Mr T Swain and the materials were hauled by parishioners free of charge.
The dedication of the memorial took place in March 1920 by Rev F Langdon.
In 2010 the memorial was repaired and conserved with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust.
Details
MATERIALS: Doulting Stone cross, Blue Lias foundations, limestone retaining wall and plaque, bronze plaque.
DESCRIPTION: Membury War Memorial consists of a Latin cross standing over 5m tall. The arms of the cross are octagonal in profile and rise from a tapered octagonal shaft. The shaft is set upon an octagonal plinth with rounded corners which is set upon a square two-stepped base.
To the front of the war memorial is a limestone retaining wall which holds a stone dedication tablet which bears the inscription in incised, ornate lettering and reads IN MEMORY OF/ THE SACRIFICES MADE/ DURING THE GREAT WAR/ AUGUST 1914 NOVEMBER 1918/ BY THIS SIGN THOU SHALT/ CONQUER.
A bronze plaque on the memorial is dedicated to those who fell in the Second World War which reads 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES). .

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.