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
Administrator
Membership &
Volunteer
Officer
Learning
Officer
Conservation
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
conscripted soldiers during
after World War I.
for
and
All Saints’ Church, Corston, Bath ©
Benjamin & Beauchamp Architects Ltd, 2010
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
commission and usually dissolved after
completion
• A formal transfer of responsibility/
ownership may have occurred after the
war memorial’s dedication/creation.
St Michael and All Angels Church,
Michaelston le Pit, Glamorgan ©
WMT, 2011
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
monument in a churchyard
or
• May be functional or items usually
seen in places of worship e.g.
chapels, rood screens, bells, clocks,
organs
• Common to see memorials to
individuals as well as communities;
plaques and windows
• May be dedicated to a group specific
to the place of worship e.g. choir.
St Mary the Virgin Church memorial clock,
Romney Marsh, Kent © St Mary the Virgin
PCC, 2010
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:
• Parochial Church Councils
• Parish,
town,
district
councils
• Individuals/companies
• Regiments
• Specific memorial trusts
• Local community groups
(e.g. civic societies)
• CWGC (official memorials)
The following are not
custodians:
• War Memorials Trust
• Royal British Legion
• Imperial War Museums
• Ministry of Defence
• CWGC
(for
local
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
nationally
locally
and
• Opportunity to record and assess
your memorials
• Opportunity
education
for
events
and
• May be local notable dates –Pals
Battalions, or national onesBattle 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
inscriptions where required
• Reinstatement
elements
of
lost
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
Projects
can
help:
• War Memorials Online:
www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk
• In Memoriam 2014:
www.inmemoriam2014.org
• Learning Programme:
www.learnaboutwarmemorials.org
• War Memorials Officers:
www.warmemorials.org/wmo
St Peter's Church, Woolhampton, Berks.
© Woolhampton Parish Council, 2013
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?