Summary

First World War memorial, 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

The war memorial stands on the large Green at the village centre. It comprises a c5m tall sandstone obelisk with a reversed sword carved in relief on its front face. Beneath, at the base of the obelisk, HONOUR is carved in relief. The obelisk stands on a square, splayed, plinth, this set upon a four-stepped octagonal base. The memorial is c7.5 m tall overall.

The front face of the plinth is inscribed TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY OF/ THE MEN FROM THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE/ GREAT WAR./ 1914 – 1919. The names of the fallen are inscribed on the other three sides. A stone let into the front face of the second step bears an inscription for the Second World War: TO THE MEMORY OF THESE MEN, WHO GAVE THEIR/ LIVES IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945 (8 NAMES).

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 17 January 2017.

History

Woodford, unusually, has two freestanding war memorials. Following the end of the First World War a committee, under the Comrades Club, was formed to oversee the erection of a memorial in January 1919. It is believed that the church did not approve the design which was forthcoming – an obelisk – and accordingly arrangements were made to construct a second memorial in the churchyard near the north wall of the tower. The war memorial obelisk on the Green was unveiled on Woodford Feast Sunday (10 July) 1921 at a ceremony led by four clergymen; the memorial Calvary in the churchyard was unveiled on 15 October 1921.

Between the 1950s and c2000 the obelisk on the green was surrounded by a memorial garden. This has been reverted to grass.

Reasons for Listing

Woodford War Memorial, which stands on the village Green, 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 substantial stone obelisk, standing prominently on the village’s main open space.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26677271

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.

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