Re-siting the War Memorial
When the War Memorial was erected the village was much more compact, the roads much quieter and its position at the crossroads an appropriate central point. However, with the passage of time, the expansion of the village and a massive increase in road traffic, it was deemed necessary to move the memorial plaque from the east facing side to the west, away from the busy main road. Over the years, even this was not enough, and the safety of those visiting the Memorial became a concern, particularly on Armistice Day when the parade includes youth organisations and a significant number of elderly people. The demise of locally based police officers made it increasingly difficult to ensure traffic control, and access for the disabled was not good.
With support from the local British Legion, amongst others, the Community Council carried out assessments and developed a proposal to re-site the Memorial in a more central position within the village, where it would be a safe distance from traffic, totally accessible for all and designed to include seating and planters, to create a pleasant and contemplative environment. And, in keeping with the ethos described in the Unveiling Report above, the village school was happy to agree that their pupils would not only be involved in the long-term upkeep of the planters around the Memorial, but would be able to incorporate it into their studies. A public exhibition took place in November 2016 and residents were invited to vote on the proposal. The outcome was one of overwhelming support and work to progress the re-location is ongoing, though slower than would have been ideal.
In the meantime, it was agreed to continue the work that had begun on creating this website and providing a link to personal profiles of each individual commemorated on the Memorial. Although the re-siting will not take place in time for the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice in 2018, the Names part will be up and running by then, providing some additional insight into the lives, and deaths, of the thirty one men of the Parish who died during the conflict.