Stoke and Wexham War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial taking the form of a pavilion housing a pump supplying a drinking fountain and horse trough. Erected by Sir Bernard Oppenheimer (1866-1921), date and designer not known.

Reasons for Designation

The Stoke and Wexham War Memorial, Wexham Street, Buckinghamshire is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest:

* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20. It was commissioned by Sir Bernard Oppenheimer who made a significant contribution to the war effort;

Architectural interest:

* as a highly unusual classical design in the form of a pavilion, enclosing a water pump with an integrated horse trough;

* for the unusual use of faience blocks in the construction of a war memorial.

History

The memorial, which takes the form of a pavilion housing a pump supplying a drinking fountain and horse trough, was erected by Sir Bernard Oppenheimer (1866-1921), a South African-British diamond merchant and philanthropist who lived at the nearby Sefton Hall. He was created first baronet of Stoke Poges in 1921 in recognition of his contribution to the war effort and work with disabled servicemen. The exact date and designer of the memorial are not currently known. The names of the fallen are recorded on a separate memorial plaque in St Mary's Church, Wexham (Grade II*).

Details

First World War memorial taking the form of a pavilion housing a pump supplying a drinking fountain and horse trough. Erected by Sir Bernard Oppenheimer (1866-1921), date and designer not known.

MATERIALS: stone-coloured faience blocks by Doulton and Co of Lambeth. Clay tile roof and clay tile and stone floor. Granite memorial plaque. Cast-iron pump.

DESCRIPTION: a neo-classical octagonal pavilion with eight Greek Doric columns supporting the entablature. The frieze is decorated with tryglyphs and there is a deep overhanging cornice. Four of the columns are free standing with the other four engaged with low walls occupying the three western sides of the memorial. The higher, westernmost, wall incorporates a rectangular horse trough on the exterior and an arched drinking fountain with a basin on the interior. The clay-tiled roof has a stone ball finial. Inside the pavilion is a (now incomplete) cast-iron flywheel and crank water pump, probably by Joseph Evans of Wolverhampton. This stands on a clay tile and stone slab floor.

A granite plaque on the wall adjoining the horse trough is inscribed: IN MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF/ STOKE & WEXHAM/ WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914 -1918./ ERECTED BY SIR BERNARD OPPENHEIMER BART. An additional stone plaque above the trough records the restoration of the memorial by the parish council on the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 1995.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 27 February 2018.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online - Wexham Street, accessed 24 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/222446/
War Memorials Register, accessed 27 February 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/75011

End of official list entry

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