Summary

War memorial. Designed by Sir George Frampton R A (1860-1928) and unveiled on 30 January 1921.

Description

War memorial. Designed by Sir George Frampton R A (1860-1928) and unveiled on 30 January 1921.

MATERIALS: Portland stone memorial set on a base and steps of Wealden sandstone.

PLAN: T-shaped monument set in an elliptical-shaped garden.

DESCRIPTION: a 5m high, 3m wide, monument consisting of a tapering octagonal column with moulded cornice and plinth surmounted by a tasselled cushion surmounted by a crowned orb. The column is set on a square two stage pedestal on a wider moulded base with a further shallow step below, and set on a shallow stepped square area paved with Wealden sandstone. On the front or north-west side of the upper stage of the pedestal is a laurel wreath with the dates 1914-1919 with the inscription below 'TO THOSE WHO DIED FOR US', and to the south-east side a second identical wreath inscribed 'LEST WE FORGET' flanked by the dates 1939 and 1945. Names of the 22 fallen with their regiments are inscribed on three sides of the base of the pedestal. Attached to the north-west side are four shallow Wealden Sandstone steps.

SETTING: the war memorial is set in an elliptical-shaped garden with a flowerbed and lawn.

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, 28 November 2016

History

A committee was constituted in August 1919 to oversee the provision of a village war memorial for Wittersham. Through personal contacts the sculptor Sir George Frampton RA agreed to design the memorial free of charge. The memorial was entirely funded by the inhabitants of the village and according to a contemporary press cutting the estimated cost was £450. The land for the memorial was given by the Medway Brewery. The memorial was dedicated on Sunday 30 January 1921 and unveiled by Capt. H H C Baird DSO, The Buffs. The memorial underwent conservation and repair in 2008.

Reasons for Listing

Wittersham war memorial, a Portland stone memorial on a Wealden stone base designed by Sir George Frampton RA and unveiled on 30th January 1921, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20.
* Architectural interest : an unusual war memorial comprising a tapering octagonal column surmounted by a cushion bearing a crowned orb designed by a sculptor of national importance.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26676940

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

• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)