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Paulton Cross

This large granite cross standing on a granite base with three steps is situated in the centre of the village. A bronze plaque records the fallen of the Great War whose names are surmounted by a laurel wreath. A second tablet was added after the Second World War.  The memorial is surrounded by a fence.

The Parish Council proposed in 2006 to undertake soft landscaping works around the memorial. The memorial itself was in good condition. The works were designed to assist the manageablity of the site and keep maintenance costs down. Works included installation of kick boards to the railings, to level the garden area and install matting to prevent weed encroachment and to cover the area around the memorial with chippings. War Memorials Trust contributed £325 towards the project.

The Parish Council of Paulton decided in 1919 to purchase the site upon which the memorial sits which was formerly a house. A memorial designed by Humphries and Oakes of Bristol was then erected. The funding came from public donations and fundraising events held in the village. On Good Friday 1921 the memorial was unveiled by Mr Blinman of Farrington Gurney. J. F. Blatt laid a laurel wreath on behalf of "The Comrades of the Great War", with others laid by relatives and friends of those remembered. The vicar Rev. W. E. Hodgson dedicated the memorial with the Baptist Minister Rev E. Whitton reading a lesson. The service concluded with the Last Post and National Anthem.

The inscriptions on the memorial following the First World War reads:

“1914 – 1918. To the glory of God and in grateful memory of the men of 
Paulton who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War, whose names are 
recorded on this memorial erected by their fellow parishioners." 
"They gave their all.” 

It contains the names of 27 men of the parish who died in the Great War. 

The Second World War plaque reads:

"This tablet is erected in grateful memory of the 11 parishioners who gave their lives
In the World War 1939-1945"

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM1941
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 18814

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

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