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Doddington and Newnham

This memorial is located on a bank beside Faversham Road which runs between the villages of Doddington and Newnham in the North Downs, mid Kent. It is opposite Doddington Place Park. The memorial is a Devonshire granite cross on three tiered base with inscriptions in black lettering on the base. The memorial stands about three metres above the road in its own dedicated plot.

The cross was erected in 1921 and by 2006 the ground in front of the memorial had settled to such an extent that any further erosion would have made the structure severely unstable. In June 2007 War Memorials Trust gave £1,500 for works to the landscaping around this memorial in order to stabilise the site and improve access. The works involved levelling and re-laying the steps and adding handrails to either side of the steps. The grassy areas were also levelled and turfed.

The inscription on the front face of the plinth reads

In grateful memory of the men from
Doddington and Newnham who gave their
lives for their country in the great war
1914-1919

Underneath this are the names of the men from the two villages who died in World War II. There is an inscription

Newnham 1939 – 1945 Doddington

And the names of the men are listed under the village from which they came; the ones from Newnham being listed on the left (eastern) part of the face and the men from Doddington to the right (western) part of the face, thus being closer to their village.

C. Apps                         P. Phillips
P.Hills                            D. Smith
W. Holtum                      E. Kite
A.E. Taylor                     H. Higgins
                                   E.H. Jeffreys D.F.C.
                                   J.D. Jeffreys

Of those who fell in the First World War, the names on the western face of the plinth, which faces Doddington are

Lt.    G.C.O. Oldfield          The Queen’s R.W.S. Regt.
Pte   B.F. Kite
       W.H. Caryer             The Buffs E. Kent Regt.
       J. Davis
       P. Forster
       H.W.Higgins
       W.Butcher                The Border Regt. 
       F. Mills                     The Queen’s Own R.W. Kent Regt.
       H. Philpott
       S.J. Pullen                Kings Royal Rifle Corps
       L.C. Jarvis                Royal Dublin Fusiliers

 And on the eastern face towards Newnham

2Lt.     L.J. Field                 R. Berkshire Regt
Stoker E.B. Atkins               Royal Navy
Capt.   W.G. Smith              The Buffs E. Kent Regt
Pte      H. Filmer
          H.H. Hayesmore
          F. Knight
          G. Raines
          W.W.R. Sears
          W.T. Mann               The Queen’s Own W. Kent Regt.
          A.E. Piles                  Middlesex Regt 
          H.M. Chapman           R. Munster Fusiliers
Capt    F. Butler                   Machine Gun Corps
Pte      A.E. Slingsby            The London Regt 
          G.T. Hills                  29th Canadian Infantry

The land upon which the memorial stands had originally belonged to the Jeffreys family of Doddington Place, who had bought the estate in 1906. It was donated to Doddington Parish Council by Mrs. M. Jeffreys in October 1953, the year before her death.

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM2000
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 16214

If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on conservation@warmemorials.org

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