War memorials and historic

religious buildings

Amy Davidson, Conservation Officer

War Memorials Trust
War Memorials Trust
• Independent charity, rely on donations to
undertake our work and fund our grant schemes

• Established 1997 due to concern about the

condition of war memorials in the UK

• Conservation charity: give advice and

information, administer grant schemes - not
responsible for any memorials

• No legal powers so cannot require anyone to do

anything.
Objectives
1. To monitor the condition of war memorials and to
encourage protection and conservation

2. To provide expert advice to those involved in war

memorial projects, to act as the specialist organisation
for war memorial conservation issues and to facilitate
repair and conservation through grant schemes

3. To work with relevant organisations to encourage them

to accept responsibility for war memorials and
recognise the need to undertake repair and
conservation work

4. To build a greater understanding of war memorial

heritage and raise awareness of the issues surrounding
war memorial conservation.
WMT Structure

Board of
Trustees

Director

Membership &
Learning Conservation
Administrator Volunteer
Officer Officer Officers x4
History of war memorials
• Estimated 100,000 war memorials
in the UK

• Traditionally war memorials were

dedicated to the officer ranks
(Napoleonic Wars)

• Public memorials to ordinary

soldiers began to appear in the 19th
century (Crimean and Boer Wars)

• Mass memorialisation for All Saints’ Church, Corston, Bath ©

conscripted soldiers during and Benjamin & Beauchamp Architects Ltd, 2010

after World War I.

History of war memorials
• After World War II names added to
existing memorials or built utilitarian
types
• Names continue to be added to
existing memorials or new ones are
created
• No central government directives about
design or who was remembered
• The majority of war memorials were
funded by public subscription through
committees formed for their St Michael and All Angels Church,
commission and usually dissolved after Michaelston le Pit, Glamorgan ©
WMT, 2011
completion
• A formal transfer of responsibility/
ownership may have occurred after the
war memorial’s dedication/creation.
Diversity of type and
materials
War memorials in HRBs
• Varied location and design which may
not be obvious
• Majority relate to CofE churches
• Common to have a cross or
monument in a churchyard
• May be functional or items usually
seen in places of worship e.g.
chapels, rood screens, bells, clocks,
organs
• Common to see memorials to St Mary the Virgin Church memorial clock,
individuals as well as communities; Romney Marsh, Kent © St Mary the Virgin
PCC, 2010
plaques and windows
• May be dedicated to a group specific
to the place of worship e.g. choir.
Custodianship
What is a ‘custodian’?
Anyone who looks after the maintenance of a war
memorial. They may or may not be the legal owner. May
need to undertake research to establish this but many war
memorials have no identifiable custodian or owner.
Many types of custodians: The following are not
• Parochial Church Councils custodians:
• Parish, town, district • War Memorials Trust
councils • Royal British Legion
• Individuals/companies • Imperial War Museums
• Regiments • Ministry of Defence
• Specific memorial trusts • CWGC (for local
• Local community groups memorials)
(e.g. civic societies)
• CWGC (official memorials)
The law: maintenance

War Memorials (Local Authorities’ Powers) Act of 1923

“A local authority may incur reasonable expenditure in the
maintenance, repair and protection of any war memorial
within their district, which may be vested in them”.

Local Authorities Act 1948/ Local Government Act 1948

This later Act allows expenditure to be incurred for
memorials “which may be vested in them or not”.

Means many local authorities undertake projects to

memorials at a PoW.
Common issues in HRBs
• Ownership

• Lack of records

• Closing buildings or merging

of congregations

• Relocation

• Accessibility

• Anti-social behaviour / theft

St Peter's Church (CCT), Offord D’Arcy,
Cambs. © E. Howes, 2013
Centenary of WWI 2014-18
• Various projects locally and
nationally

• Opportunity to record and assess

your memorials

• Opportunity for events and

education

• May be local notable dates –Pals

Battalions, or national ones-
Battle of the Somme etc.

• Funding opportunities © WMT, 2012

How WMT can help: Advice
• Helpsheets – technical and general. Include
landscapes; adding names; mortar; condition
survey

• Website – various types of advice: grants and

advice for applicants; other sources of funding;
War Memorials Officers; bibliography

• Conservation Officers

St Bartholomew's Church memorial

organ, Warleggan, Cornwall ©
Warleggan PCC, 2011
How WMT can help: Grants
• Small Grants Scheme (UK)
Funded by WMT. All war memorials in the UK eligible. Max
grant of up to 50% of costs, up to £2,500. No deadlines.

• Grants for War Memorials (Freestanding in England)

Funded by English Heritage / The Wolfson Foundation.
Max grant of up to 75% of costs, up to £30k (minimum
project cost £3k). Four deadlines per year.

• Centenary Memorials Restoration Fund (Scotland)

Funded by the Scottish Government through Historic
Scotland - £1m available 2013-2018. All memorials in
Scotland eligible. Max grant of up to 75% of costs, up to
£30k. Four deadlines per year.
www.warmemorials.org/grants
Grant eligible works
• Cleaning • Addition of names

• Conservation works • Condition/structural surveys

• Like-for-like repairs • Improving access

• Re-cutting/sharpening up • Reinstatement of lost

inscriptions where required elements

St James's Church,
Berwick St James, Wilts.
© S. Bush, 2009-2010
Grants: Case studies
The Memorial Bells, Memorial Community Church,
Plaistow, London
• £2,500 grant
• Repair and cleaning of bells and clavier
• Also received HLF funding
• Produced website with details of those commemorated

© Memorial Community Church, 2011

Grants: Case studies
All Saints' Church WWI plaque, West Dulwich, London

• £650 grant
• Repair of plaque after fire

© All Saints’ West Dulwich, 2010

Grants: Case studies
St Margaret's Church cross, Hollinwood, Manchester

• £308 grant
• Repair and replacement of delaminating stone

© Storah Architecture, 2011 © St Margaret's Church, 2011

 Grants: Case studies
Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Castlebay, Isle of Barra,
Western Isles, Scotland

• £10k grant
• Cleaning, repair cracks, re-lead and solder, masonry repairs

© Benjamin Tindall Architects, 2011 © Paul Harding, 2012

Other sources of funding
• WMT grant schemes are unable to fund 100%
• HLF – First World War: then and now. £3-£10k
• Memorials Grant Scheme – VAT reimbursement

St Mary Magdalene's Church

memorial rood screen, Wandsworth
Common, London © Philip
McCarthy Photography, 2010
How WMT can help:
Projects
• War Memorials Online:
www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk

• In Memoriam 2014:
www.inmemoriam2014.org

• Learning Programme:
www.learnaboutwarmemorials.org

• War Memorials Officers: St Peter's Church, Woolhampton, Berks.

© Woolhampton Parish Council, 2013
www.warmemorials.org/wmo
Contact details

War Memorials Trust

42a Buckingham Palace Road

London SW1W 0RE
E: conservation@warmemorials.org
T: 020 7233 7356
W: www.warmemorials.org

Twitter: @WarMemorials
Questions?