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Shillingstone

Shillingstone war memorial is located on the corner of Poplar Hill and Blandford Road in Dorset. The memorial is a Portland stone wheel cross, with an ornately embellished floriated tapering shaft standing on a two stepped base with a carved stone wreath encircling an incised dedicatory inscription to the men of the Parish who were lost during First World War. The names of the 25 men from Shillingstone who lost their lives during the First World War are inscribed around the sides and back of the war memorial base. At the base of the cross is also a stone tablet which is incised with the names of those from Shillingstone who lost their lives during the Second World War.

In July 2012 War Memorials Trust offered a grant of £522.00 toward the cleaning and re-pointing of the memorial as a number of the inscriptions had become illegible. The memorial was cleaned using DOFF style steam cleaning and a micro crystalline wax was applied. As part of the project cleaning using high pressure washing, including Jos and TORC, was excluded and not undertaken. Smartwater was also applied to the metal chain link fence and the gate that surround the memorial.

In 2021-22, a grant for £720 to steam clean the base of the memorial to aid legibility of the names. Defective and loose mortar was removed and repointed using lime. The project was awarded through the Grants for War Memorials scheme supported by Historic England.

Shillingstone war memorial was designed by Farmer, Brindley & Co. of London and was unveiled on September 24th 1919 by the Countess of Shaftesbury. Although the cross was originally going to be placed in the churchyard, it was decided that a local allotment would be a more appropriate location. On the same day a German field gun was also presented by the War Office in recognition of Shillingstone’s contribution to the First World War. Before the 31st January 1915, 99 local men had offered to join the war effort out of a total population of 565. The inscription on the base of the memorial is a testament to this, which reads:

“Message
from H.M. King George V
"His Majesty was
gratified to learn how
splendidly the people
of Shillingstone have
responded to the call of
the colours I imagine
this must be a record”

The inscription on the shaft of the cross reads:

“This cross
was erected
by public
subscription in
memoriam of the
honourable place
taken by this
parish in the
Great War 1914-
1919 and specially
of these from its
Roll of Honour
who gave their
lives for their
Country”

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM4237
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 26666

War Memorials Online: 97520

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

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