Castle Cary War Memorial, Castle Cary, Somerset

Entry Name: Castle Cary War Memorial

Listing Date: 12 January 2015

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1423545

ID on this website: 101423545

Location: Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7

County: Somerset

District: South Somerset

Civil Parish: Castle Cary

Built-Up Area: Castle Cary

Traditional County: Somerset

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Somerset

Tagged with: Memorial

Summary

A war memorial, commemorating the dead of both world wars.

Description

A war memorial of c.1920 which commemorates the dead of both World Wars.

MATERIALS: granite with incised, lead lettering.

PLAN: an island constructed to the north-western side of the horse pond which is set at the junction of Fore Street, Lower Park Street and Ashby Place. The memorial is rectangular in section with a cross set above a plinth which rises above a stepped platform.

The street front, facing north-west towards Ashby Place, has a cross with wheel head and tapered shaft, below which the plinth takes the form of a rough-hewn rectangular boulder with a recessed, smooth, panel to the front, which reads ‘THE / GREAT WAR / 1914-1919’. Below this is an added panel with angled face, which reads ‘1939 / TO / 1945’ at centre, flanked by the names of those who fell in the Second World War. The flanks of the plinth have recessed smooth panels which bear the names of those who died in the First World War.

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, 14 December 2016.

History

The memorial is shown on the Ordnance Survey map published in 1930. The Victoria County History website (see SOURCES) records that the horse pond was looked after by the parish council between the C17 and the C19. By 1910 ownership was claimed by the Hoskins family, who sold it to the parish council in 1920 for the specific purpose of erecting a war memorial. It seems probable that the memorial was erected shortly after that.

Reasons for Listing

Castle Cary war memorial is list ed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: the monument, its roughly hew base and its inspired setting on an island, have dramatic power;
* 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;
* Group value: the memorial stands in a prominent place within the wider context of Castle Cary and has a strong relationship with the other buildings and layout of the town.

External Links

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.