Cold Ash War Memorial restored in time for Remembrance Sunday
COLD Ash War Memorial has been restored so that future generations can remember those from the parish who died in conflicts.
The memorial commemorates 32 men of the parish who died in the First World War, but has since become the focus of the community’s respect for people who lost their lives in service to the nation at a time of war.
The memorial is regarded as a well-executed example of a hooded Calvary cross and in 2016 was granted Grade II-listed status for its special architectural or historic interest.
In April 2018, Peter Seward of the Cold Ash Parish Heritage Group gave a presentation to the annual parish meeting about the memorial’s state of repair.
The War Memorial Action Group [WMAG] was then formed to raise the necessary funds to restore and conserve the structure.
Under the chairmanship of Richard Avens, the WMAG raised funds and applied for a Faculty, the ecclesiastical form of planning permission, from the Diocese of Oxford.
The chancellor’s determination dated April 6 said: “The memorial is in a seriously dilapidated state and further degradation will incur if it is not suitably treated or if treatment is delayed.
“The continued safety of the structure is questionable since it has been established that the outer legs of its framework have lost contact with and are no longer gaining support from the ground.
“The proposed conservation work has the full support of the Parochial Church Council and has been recommended for approval (without conditions) by the Diocesan Advisory Committee“
JG Restorations Ltd of Swindon, removed the memorial to commence work in April 2020.
During the conservation process the contractors found that the main timber upright was beyond repair and the two 100-year-old original wooden name boards were revealed.
The WMAG was given permission by the Diocese of Oxford to replace the damaged section of the cross and to frame and display the wooden name boards inside St Mark’s Church on the memorial wall.
The War Memorial was re-erected between October 16 and 20 and the name boards will be mounted inside the church in time for the Remembrance Service on November 8.
Cold Ash War Memorial was erected in 1919.
The Newbury Weekly News reported on February 20, 1919, that: “One of the first memorials to be erected in the locality to the memory of the fallen dead in the great European war was unveiled at Cold Ash, on Saturday last, in the afternoon. Unfortunately the weather was very inclement, preventing many from attending the service.”
The NWN reported at the time that the vicar of Thatcham, the Rev E Chamberlaine, said: “To them we owe a great debt.
“It is not much we can do.
“We can never repay those who laid down their lives for us.
“They have won glory and honour in what they did for their homes, their family, their church and country. Yet there is something we can do.
“We are met today to dedicate a memorial which is as fitting as men can devise.
“Very quickly the people of Cold Ash have set out to do what they could in erecting this beautiful crucifix.
“The judgement of the future will be that there could be no more fitting memorial than that of the Saviour in the supreme moment of His great sacrifice, to perpetrate the memory of those who freely laid down their lives.”
The NWN recorded that the memorial was prepared and erected by Mr Burgess, of Cold Ash, and the figure was supplied by Mr Stallwood, architect of Reading.
