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Cuddesdon - Ripon College WWI
Town or City: Cuddesdon
County: Oxfordshire
Country: England
WMT Reference Number: WM10522
Value of grant: £2430.00
Type of memorial: Freestanding
Type of work: Conservation and repair
Grant scheme: Grants for War Memorials (Eng)
Year: 2018
UKNIWM reference number: 60055
Cuddesdon College World War I cross war memorial is a Grade II Listed memorial . It is located in the courtyard on the east side of Ripon College in Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire.
The memorial consists of a stepped square stone base with a Latin inscription on three sides. Above the stone base is a tapering shaft and carvings on each side at the head of the shaft. The East face shows Our lord on the cross with St Mary and St John, the West face shows Our Lady and the Holy Child, the North face shows St Michael and the South face shows St George.
In 2017 a grant of £330 was offered through the War Memorials Trust Grants Scheme towards a full condition survey and report with recommendations to inform necessary conservation and repair works which was undertaken by a conservation-accredited professional.
In 2018, the Grants for War Memorials scheme offered a grant of £3,430 towards cleaning and conservation repairs. The work involved reviewing the brick core and sensitively repairing the memorial, replacing stones only where absolutely necessary but otherwise fixing them. The vegetation was removed from joints and moss removed from the carved head of the shaft then gentle cleaning undertaken with water, steam and brushing. The 6 spalled capping stones of the bottom step of the base were removed and replaced while a further stone on the second step was partially replaced with an indent repair. The whole mortar base was then repointed with lime mortar to prevent water ingress.
The memorial as designed by Mr F E Howard and was dedicated on 1st January 1919 with the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Charles Gore in attendance.
There is a Latin inscription on three sides:
ORATE PRO ANIMABUS ALUMNORUM ET FAMULORUM HUIUSCE COLLEGII QUI PRO PATRIA IN MAGNO BELLO MORTUI SUNT A.D.MCMXIV-XVIII. REQUIEM AETERNAM DONA EIS DOMINE ET LUX PERPETUA LUCEAT EIS.
which translates as Pray for the souls of the alumni and servants of this college who died for their country in the Great War A.D. 1914-1918. Grant them O Lord eternal peace and may everlasting light shine for them.
Further information
War Memorials Trust reference WM10522
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 60055
War Memorials Online 249413
If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on conservation@warmemorials.org