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Axminster- St Mary's RC Calvary

The war memorial at the entrance to the churchyard of St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Axminster war erected for and dedicated to the fallen of World War I with an inscription added after World War II. The memorial comprises a calvary cross constructed of both seasoned and green oak, including an intricately carved figure of Christ, with a gilded ‘INRI’ inscribed over. The memorial is sheltered by an apex hood with timber shingle tiles. The base of the cross shaft is supported and embellished with carved console brackets. The central upright with two morticed and tenoned horizontal beams, secured with large oak pins which the carved figure has been mounted. Two inscribed panels sit within oak frames, with laminated top rails either side of the central upright, and are fixed using large mortice and tenon joints, held with oak pins. The structure is bolted to a substantial concrete base through a painted mild steel bracket. The monument was relocated at some point in its history but is positioned between a pathway to the church, and a pathway to the local primary school.

In 2023, the memorial received a grant of £3,970 through War Memorials Trust Grants Scheme towards works. The memorial had become structurally unsound, the roof was damaged and had been inappropriately nailed, gaps had opened in the timber, and the metal support at the base had begun to fail. Some of the timber had also rotted owing to a failure in the original design which had allowed water to sit in the bracing wells into the deep mortice joints that fix the top rails. The grant allowed specialist conservation and repair works to be undertaken to the memorial which was carefully removed and taken to a workshop environment to allow a full assessment of the condition to be made. Careful like-for-like repairs were carried out to the oak structure with maximum retention of original fabric. Rotted sections of oak were carefully removed and new sections cut to fill the resulting voids. The roof was repaired to the original design with all the timber roof tiles replaced like-for-like but the lead ridges were cleaned and reused. Around half the structural timber pegs holding the structure together were reused and the other half replaced like-for-like. The structural bracket at the base of the memorial was refurbished to its original design and the memorial was re-erected. The memorial was reorientated with permission granted for this owing t uncertainty around the positioning of the memorial in its original setting.

The memorial was dedicated on 19th May 1919, relatively soon after the conflict. The following day the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette reported that a solemn service was held for the purpose of blessing and dedicating the memorial. The service was conducted by the Very Rev. Monsignor Canon Gandy who was assisted by the Rev. Fathers Barney, Van Heede (Lyme Regis), and Cyril Smith (Okehampton) the latter carrying the processional cross, accompanied by four acolytes. After a hymn by school children an address was delivered by Father Barney, who spoke of all that the Cross should mean to Christians and appealed for a fuller realisation of the great sacrifice of Calvary. What we did not really agree about was the memorialising of Christ s death and sacrifice. Did we, however, take offence and charge our fellow-countrymen who erected memorials to the sacrifice and the death those who had laid down their lives in the war with being idolaters? We had not the slightest fear of being called idolaters in memorialising and having resource to statuary, carving, poetry and prose, and pictures, and in every way showing forth what had been done in order to make it a standing memorial that future generations might be able to realise it in a way they would not otherwise do. The sacrifice of Calvary had given the cue and the genius to every kind of sacrifice since offered, and even every sacrifice offered before had in mind the Redeemer to come. We must, emphasised the preacher, go back to Calvary for the inspiration of every sacrifice; we must never forget or be ashamed of it, and memorialise it. Canon Gandy, after another hymn by the children, performed the ceremony of blessing and dedicating the memorial, after which the psalm "Out of the depths” was recited. A solemn Benediction followed in the church, which was crowded to overflowing. A Sister Gabriel was at the organ and the service was of the most impressive character. After the ceremony, many of those present partook of tea in the Presbytery grounds at the invitation of Canon Gandy.

The memorial is inscribed with a dedication which reads:
In memory of the soldiers and sailors who have fallen in the Great War fighting for King country and
Home. Eternal rest grant them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace
Peace; 1914-1918; 1939-1945

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM12603
UK National Inventory of War Memorials:

 War Memorials Online: WMO/294164

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

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