Unusual War Memorials

There is a war memorial in virtually every town and village in Somerset.  However there are a few memorials, which stand out because they are a bit different.  Here are some of them:

Burrow Mump

 

Burrow Mump

In medieval times a chapel dedicated to St Michael was built on top of the Burrow Mump.  It was still standing in the mid-17th century.  By the mid-18th century the chapel was in ruins and in 1793 rebuilding commenced but the church was never completed.  The church is built of lias with Ham stone and red brick dressings.  In 1836-8 a church (also dedicated to St Michael) was built at the foot of the hill in the village of Burrowbridge. Burrow Mump and the unfinished church were given to the National Trust by Major Alexander Gould Barrett in 1946 as a memorial to the Somerset men and women who lost their lives during the Second World War.

 

Burrow Mump

Burrow Mump Memorial Plaque

 

Holford & Kilve's Memorial Copse

Holford and Kilve's Second World War memorial is a copse of Scots pine trees on Longstone Hill on the Quantocks.  The memorial says "These trees were planted to commemorate the men and women of Holford and Kilve who served in the war 1939-45."

 

Holford & Kilve's Memorial Copse

Holford and Kilve's Memorial Copse

Blagdon Green, Blagdon Hill

"Lest we Forget.  In Memory of the Fallen"

 

Baltonsborough

This war memorial is made from a 15" Howitzer shell case.

Dowlish Wake

This memorial is carved onto a Ham stone boulder

"Remember those who died for this country"

Thatched war memorial in Drayton

"We Will Remember Them" mural painted on a wall in Haydon Road, Taunton

Dunster

The walled garden located at the back of St George's Church in Dunster is a war memorial garden.  It is dedicated to the men of Dunster who died for their country in both world wars. It can be accessed through a gate in the wall on Priory Green just opposite the dovecote. 

Dunster's War Memorial Garden

Royal British Legion Poppy Memorial, Weston-super-Mare

This colourful war memorial was installed at the front of Somerset Legion House on Weston-super-Mare seafront, when it opened in 2007 as a hotel offering holidays for ex-servicemen and women and their families.  The hotel closed in January 2020 and the memorial has now been moved to Grove Park.

Royal British Legion Memorial Bench, Collett Park, Shepton Mallet

This was put in place for the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War in November 2018.

Corfe's memorial to those who died in the First World War but who lie in unmarked graves or have no grave at all.

Martock

Martock has a horse water trough, which is now filled with flowers, as a memorial to the 450,000 horses that were killed in the South African War 1899-1902

Porlock's Second World War Memorial Trees & Garden

First World War memorial bench, Somerton

Second World War memorial bench, Somerton

War Memorial bench, Somerton

War Memorial clock tower, Worle

This clock tower was paid for by local subscription in 1919 and was designed by local architect T. Bradford Ball.  It was dedicated on 14th September 1922.

John Biffen, MP and Government Minister

(William) John Biffen was born in Bridgwater on 3rd November 1930.  His father Victor William Biffen was the tenant farmer at Hill Farm, Otterhampton.  He was educated first at Combwich Village School and later at Dr Morgan's Grammar School in Bridgwater, where he became the head boy. He was awarded a scholarship to Jesus College, Cambridge University, where he studied history and graduated with a first class honours degree in 1953. He worked for Tube Investments Ltd from 1953-60 and the Economist Intelligence Unit 1960-61.

John Biffen developed an interest in politics at Cambridge University and he was chairman of the university Conservative Association.  He stood unsuccessfully for the parliamentary constituency of Coventry East at the 1959 general election.  In 1961 he won the by-election for the Oswestry constituency (renamed Shropshire North in 1983) and he held the seat until 1997.  He was a Eurosceptic and in 1971 he voted against the UK joining the European Economic Community. 

He served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury (May 1979-January 1981), Secretary of State for Trade (January 1981-April 1982) and Leader of the House of Commons (April 1982-June 1987).  He made remarks that upset the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher and he was dropped from the Cabinet after the 1987 General Election and returned to the back benches.

John Biffen married Sarah Wood in 1979.  He was made a life peer in June 1997 and moved to the House of Lords.  His title was Baron Biffen of Tanat in the County of Shropshire. He died on 14th August 2007, aged 76.  He is commemorated in Combwich with a blue plaque on the wall of Otterhampton Village Hall.

Blue Plaque in Combwich