Showcase result

Moreton-in-Marsh

The war memorial dedicated to the fallen men of Moreton-in-Marsh and Batsford stands in the middle of the High Street in the market town of Moreton-in-Marsh, in the northern Cotswolds in Gloucestershire. It has a sculpture of St George, dressed in the costume of a medieval knight, slaying the dragon, on top of a tall Hollington sandstone pillar which stands on a double plinth on a four-stepped base. There is moulding at the top and bottom of the pillar. Around the top of the octagonal plinth is a floriate frieze and into the sides of the plinth are carved shallow recesses topped with trefoils. Alternate recesses contain reliefs of shields, painted with the cross of St George or with filled red circles and chevronels on a white background. St George’s shield, at the top of the memorial, is also painted with the flag of St George. Around the top of the lower plinth is a raised stone dedication on a red background, and below this, around the faces of the plinth, are listed the names of the fallen. The memorial stands in a paved area behind a low circular walls and low stone bollards.

In 2003/4 English Heritage offered a grant of £1,200 towards work to clean the memorial using the DOFF cleaning system, re-point all the open joints with lime mortar and to repaint the shields and the red background.

In 2016 a grant of £340 was offered through War Memorials Trust Grants Scheme towards a condition survey and report with recommendations to inform necessary conservation and repair works which was undertaken by a conservation-accredited conservator.

The 2016 survey was used to inform a further grant funded project to address condiiton issues with the memorial. As part of the project the memorial was cleaned using steam, the joints were repointed using an appropriate lime mortar and conservation work to the St George statue, including the repainting of the shield, were undertaken. Areas of erosion to the mouldings were repaired using lime mortar and painted areas to the base of the memorial, and the inscriptions, were repainted. This project received a grant of £10,345.

The dedication around the top of the plinth reads:

"In grateful memory of the men of Moreton and Batsford who gave their lives in the Great War"

The memorial was designed by Sir Edward Guy Dawber, an architect particularly associated with the Cotswolds. It was unveiled by Lord Redesdale on 26th March 1921. Lord Redesdale, the father of the Mitford sisters, had served as a transport officer in Flanders during the war, gaining distinction for his bravery at the Second Battle of Ypres. His older brother had been killed during the war and is commemorated on the memorial.

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM1306
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 21020

Heritage Gateway listing record: 126656
More information about Sir Edward Guy Dawber

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

Return to search results | Start a new search