Berkshire & Hampshire War Memorials listed
Last updated 10th Nov 2020
Ahead of Armistice Day, 20 war memorials have been listed across the South East, in Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Kent and the Isle of Wight - they include three in Berkshire, Hampshire & on the border with Surrey.
These are some of the 132 war memorials that have been added to the National Heritage List for England by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England, in the past year.
Locally:
Old Basing War Memorial, Basingstoke, Hampshire Grade II
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1467191
This First World War memorial cross in the grounds of the St Mary’s Church was unveiled and dedicated in 1921 in front of a large crowd of relatives, men who had served in the war, Red Cross nurses, Girl Guides, parishioners and clergy. It commemorates 25 local men, their names inscribed onto the plinth and steps, with the regiment and the place in which they fell. The range of locations from France, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Palestine and Gallipoli, to those lost at sea, brings home the international reach of the war, and a reminder that many men travelled further from home than they ever had before. A moving address by the vicar at the dedication is recorded by the local paper the Hants & Berks Gazette, where he said that memorials “provide us with a stimulus for recollection. They remind us day by day of those whose memories might possibly as years go by become dimmed and blurred.” A local initiative is collating information on the men commemorated to bring out the stories behind the names, including the Tigwell brothers who died on the same day, in the same regiment.
Ufton Nervet War Memorial, Berkshire Grade II
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1466998
Bridley Manor War Memorial, near Worplesdon, Guilford, Surrey Grade II
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1469800
This memorial is located in the centre of a small green at the junction of Bagshot Road and Berry Lane and commemorates troops stationed at nearby Bullswater and Pirbright Camps who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial marks the spot that thousands of men who trained at the camps would have passed by on their way to the front. It was erected in 1922 and designed by the locally-based London Necropolis Company Ltd. The site was a gift from a Captain T. W. Craig, and the cross was funded by Mr and Mrs Cecil Braithwaite, the occupants of Bridley Manor. The Woking News & Mail reported at the time that at the unveiling Major-General Butler said, “During the years of the war there were tens of thousands of men who trained in the vicinity, not only from all parts of the United Kingdom, but also from the Dominions and Colonies. The cross stands here as a memorial to the representatives of the British nation from all parts of the world.”
The recently listed memorials are among tens of thousands that were erected across England in memory of the many people who lost their lives in both World Wars, never to return home. In place of graves, these memorials became focal points for local communities to mourn and honour their dead. Nationally, The Cenotaph in Whitehall is seen as the country’s main memorial and this year marks the centenary of its erection.
Heritage Minister Nigel Huddleston said:
"Each year on Remembrance Sunday we come together as a nation in silence to remember and give thanks to all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. In our towns, cities and villages, memorials stand to these brave men and women. I am very pleased that this year, as we mark the centenary of the Cenotaph itself, we have protected 132 memorials so that future generations can learn about those who gave so much to our country."
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England said:
“Our War Memorials across the country remind us of the huge sacrifices made by generations in the conflicts of the last century, and provide communities with a focal point to express their gratitude and loss. We are proud to continue our work in recognising and protecting these important public monuments so future generations can continue to honour and remember the fallen.”
In 2014, Historic England committed to listing 2,500 war memorials by the end of 2018 to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War. It achieved this target, listing 2,645, but decided to continue the work as many more cherished memorials worthy of listing status were identified.