Summary
First World War memorial by Messrs H H Martyn & Company Ltd,
unveiled on 12 February 1922, with later inscriptions
commemorating those who served during the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
The war memorial in the Market Place, Salisbury, designed by H H
Martyn and Company and erected in 1922, is listed at Grade II
for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest: As a permanent testament to the sacrifice
made by this community in the First World War, it is of strong
historic and cultural significance both at a local and a
national level Artistic interest: the bronze sculpture is a
powerful and expressive piece of work. Design quality: in
contrast to the standard war memorial design, the Salisbury
memorial is a striking and expressive work in a horizontal form,
incorporating the carved figure of a lion and the symbols of war
Group value: it has strong group value with the adjacent Grade
II* listed Guildhall with which it is aligned, and with other
listed buildings in the Market Place. It adds considerably to
the urban texture at the centre of the city.
History
The great age of memorial building was in the aftermath of the
First World War. Salisbury war memorial was unveiled by
Lieutenant T E Adlam VC at a dedication ceremony on 12 February
1922, conducted by the Reverend W R F Addison VC, a World War
One chaplain. The memorial was designed and constructed by
Messrs H H Martyn & Company of Cheltenham, a company
specialising in the design and production of sculptures and
ecclesiastical furnishings, including the fittings for several
Cunard ships and the oak South Africa war memorial, Eton
Memorial Library, Eton (1908). In the aftermath of the First
World War the firm also designed or contributed to the design of
a number of war memorials such as those at Walsall, West
Midlands; Victoria Park, Smethwick, West Midlands; Norton in
Suffolk; and in Hartlepool.
The memorial in Salisbury stands in the Market Square, in front
of (north) the Grade II* listed Guildhall with which it is
aligned. Its location outside this important civic building is
likely to have been a conscious decision when planning the war
memorial. Inscriptions honouring those who served during the
Second World War were added later.
Details
MATERIALS: constructed of Portland stone, and embellished with
bronze and marble.
PLAN: The memorial stands in a prominent location in front of
the Guildhall (Grade II*) and has a curved plan.
DESCRIPTION: It comprises a low, curved screen wall of Portland
stone blocks surmounted by a bronze sculpture depicting a lion
together with a helmet, sword, rifle, cannon and regimental
colours with wreaths of victory. The curved north face of the
memorial carries six bronze panels recording the names of 460
local men who lost their lives during the First World War. At
the centre is a decorative arched pediment with dedicatory
marble plaques and a carved relief of the city's coat of arms.
The upper plaque is inscribed:
IN HONOUR
AND REMEMBRANCE
OF THE CITIZENS OF
SALISBURY
WHO SERVED
WHO FOUGHT WHO DIED
FOR FREEDOM HOME
AND HUMANITY
The lower panel was added after the Second World War and reads:
FOR YOUR TOMORROW
WE GAVE OUR TODAY
WE HONOUR ALL THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN THE SERVICE OF THE COUNTRY IN THE
SECOND WORLD WAR AND ALL CONFLICTS SINCE
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
At either end of the memorial wall are lanterns with bronze
latticework standards.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: To the front (north) and sides of the
memorial are ornate bronze railings with central gates to the
front. |