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Welsh National War Memorial

This war memorial consists of a Portland stone fountain surrounded by a circular stone colonnade of the Corinthian form. In the centre is a square plinth with three bronze figures of a Soldier, Sailor and Airman around its base raising wreaths to a winged Messenger of Victory atop of the plinth with a sword held aloft. The fountain is located within Alexandra Gardens, Cardiff.

In 2012, War Memorials Trust offered a grant of £2,767 towards conservation repairs to the war memorial. This included raking out the loose joints and re-pointing using a lime mortar and stone dust mix to colour match the mortar to the memorial. Sections of damaged stone which were beyond repair were cut out and replacement indents were inserted to match the original stone. Minimal amounts of stone were removed from the memorial.

In 2018, a grant of £1,130 was awarded through the professional Advice Grant stream of War Memorials Trust Grants Scheme towards a detailed condition survey and report with recommendations to inform necessary conservation and repair works which was undertaken by a conservation-accredited architect.

A further award of £29,720 in 2018 through War Memorials Trust Grants Scheme supported repair and conservation works. The memorial was steam cleaned with some poultice cleaning of the stone where needed. Repairs were undertaken on the basin and on the wider stonework. Joints were re-pointed with lime mortar.

The memorial was constructed between March 1926 and the summer of 1928 and was unveiled on 12th June 1928 by Edward, Prince of Wales. It was designed by Sir John Ninian Comper, the sculptor was A. B. Pegram, W. D. Gough undertook the carvings and A. B. Burton did the bronze casting. Comper, who is better known as a furnisher of churches was inspired in his design of the Welsh National memorial by two visits to North Africa, in particular Tunisia. The memorial is considered to be his only secular work.

The inscription on the inside of the frieze on the colonnade reads:

Remember here in peace those who in tumult of war by sea, on land, in air, for us and for our victory endureth unto death.

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM4927
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 6640

War Memorials Online: 116638

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

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