Bourton-on-the-Water war memorial

The war memorial stands on the green beside the River Windrush in Bourton-on-the-Water, where the High Street meets Sherborne Street. It is a tall stone cross, unveiled in December 1920 for the 27 people of the village who died in the First World War, and the names of 12 men of the Second World War were added later. It has been listed Grade II since 2016.

History

Bourton's memorial was the village's own choice, made at a public meeting. In January 1920 residents met and agreed to raise a memorial to the 27 members of the community who had died in the war of 1914 to 1918. The War Memorial Committee went to look at the memorials of two other Gloucestershire villages before settling on a design, and then raised the money.

The cross was unveiled by Major-General Sir H. B. Walker on 7 December 1920 and dedicated by Canon W. E. White at a well-attended service that brought the village's churches together. After the Second World War the names of 12 men who died in that war were added. Historic England listed it in September 2016 for its historic interest, its design and its group value with the listed bridges and buildings around it.

What to see

Look first at the shape. A Latin cross rises from a moulded collar on a tall, tapering octagonal shaft, carved in low relief at its foot, which stands on an octagonal plinth and a base of four square steps. The whole stands inside a square kerbed enclosure with a gate, hung with chain between low stone posts.

The names are on metal plaques on the plinth, with a wreath between the dates of each war. The main inscription, on the north-east face, dedicates the cross to those of the village who made the sacrifice for peace, followed by a short verse. The Imperial War Museums' register also records memorial boards for both wars inside St Lawrence's Church.

Visiting

The memorial is on open public ground, free and accessible at any time, on the flat green by the river. Please do not climb on the steps or sit inside the enclosure. The green is the busiest spot in the village on summer afternoons, so early morning is the time for a quiet look and a clear photograph.

Getting there

Park at the council's Rissington Road car park, GL54 2BN, about 500m east of the green, where parking is free before 10am and payment is by card or app only; the public toilets are there too. The Pulhams 801 bus from Cheltenham, Stow and Moreton-in-Marsh station stops in the village, every day.

Three of our walks use the memorial: Bourton-on-the-Water and Wyck Rissington, a 4-mile stile-free loop, and the 10-mile Bourton-on-the-Water, the Slaughters and Naunton both set off from it, and the Bourton, Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter loop passes it on the way back along the river.

Nearby

Narrow Bridge, the oldest dated of Bourton's footbridges, is a few steps away, and St Lawrence's Church is up the High Street. The Croft on the riverside, the Willow on the High Street and the Old New Inn, with the Model Village in its garden, are all within a few minutes. The Cotswold Motoring Museum is in the Old Mill on Sherborne Street. To the east, Greystones Farm and Salmonsbury Camp are a short walk out of the village.