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Headley

Headley war memorial is located on the High Street, and adjacent to All Saints’ Church. The memorial takes the form of a curved limestone wall in a classical style on three steps, with bronze inscription panels and wreaths containing the dates 1914 and 1919. In the centre of the wall there is a projecting column surmounted by a cross and wreath. The memorial commemorates those who served as well as those who died. The memorial is Grade II listed and located within a conservation area.

In 2010, War Memorials Trust gave a grant of £1,021 towards a conservation project for the memorial. Works included cleaning the memorial with the DOFF steam cleaning system to remove pollution deposits and some of the green staining from the bronze elements to the stone work. In addition, ammonium chloride based poultices were applied to try and assist in removing some of this staining. Poultices work by capillary action to penetrate into the pore structure of the stone which is required for this type of staining. It needs to be considered that this type of staining is virtually impossible to remove, particularly if it has been in place for a long time. Therefore, it depends on the specific circumstances whether its removal should be attempted as it is largely an aesthetic issue. The bronze plaques were also cleaned and waxed with a microcrystalline wax. The green staining which was present on the memorial is a result of a lack of maintenance of the bronze work; as long as the wax on the plaques is routinely removed and re-applied it should minimise any future staining. Any open or failed joints were raked out by hand and re-pointed with lime mortar.

As the memorial is listed, the local planning authority was contacted to establish whether Listed Building Consent was required for the works. However, as the works are considered maintenance and do not alter the appearance or materials of the memorial, no formal consents were required.

The memorial was erected in 1920 but had to be moved in 1946 as a Canadian tank damaged it.

The main inscription on the memorial reads:

“To the eternal honour of
Headley’s gallant
dead”

An additional inscription on one of the bronze plaques reads:

“Six hundred and nineteen
also served.”

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM3499
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 48648

The National Heritage List for England

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

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