War Memorial in Front of Church of St Alphege

Heritage listing

Details SOLIHULL 732/0/10051 THE SQUARE 07-MAR-11 War Memorial in front of Church of St Alphege GV II A War Memorial, commemorating the dead of the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War, erected in the 1921 and designed by W H Bidlake. The monument is an adaptation of an Eleanor cross, of Portland stone with rectangular bronze tablets which bear the names of the fallen. DESCRIPTION: an octagonal platform with York stone paving and granite kerbs supports an octagonal granite plinth with five steps. The octagonal shaft is divided into four stages; the lowest of these has alternating bronze tablets bearing the names of the fallen from the First World War in relief, according to the service to which they belonged, and stone panels which are carved with representations of service men and women in relief. These show an airman, a marine, an infantryman and a nurse. On the north face is a dedicatory inscription which reads; '1914-1918 / IN ETERNAL REMEMBRANCE OF / THE MEN OF SOLIHULL WHO / WENT FORTH AT THE CALL OF / KING AND COUNTRY TO FIGHT / IN THE GREAT WAR. MANFULLY / THEY FACED HARDSHIP, DANGER, DEATH ITSELF, IN THE CAUSE OF LIBERTY. THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO RETURNED NOT / AGAIN ARE HERE INSCRIBED. / THEIR BODIES ARE BURIED / IN PEACE AND THEIR NAME / LIVETH UNTO GENERATION AND GENERATION'. The upper body has panels which bear the names of the dead from the Second World War and the Korean War. The stage above this has panels of blind tracery with crocketed gablets to the top and this in turn supports a stage with open tracery which supports the finial cross. HISTORY: the monument was designed by the noted Birmingham architect W H Bidlake to commemorate the dead from the First World War and was unveiled by the Earl of Craven and dedicated by the Bishop of Birmingham

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.