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Memorial details

Memorial type
Hall / Institute
District
North Bedfordshire
Town
Bedford
County
Bedfordshire
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918)
Ceremony
  • Dedicated
    Date: 26 July 1926
    Attended by: Dr. J. A. F. Gregg, Lord Archbishop of Dublin
  • Rededicated
    Date: 12 November 2011
    Attended by: Mr Roy Gamblin
  • Opened
    Date: 26 July 1926
    Attended by: HRH Prince Henry
  • Show More (2)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
7648

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Current location

Next to the main building
Bedford School War Memorial Hall (former School Library)
Burnaby Road
Bedford
North Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
MK40 2TU
England

OS Grid Ref: TL 05178 50338
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
A two storey brick building originally the School Library which was dedicated as a War Memorial in 1926 and re-dedicated in 2011 . Set into the external upper face of the North Wall is a stone niche with two plain round pillars supporting an unbroken pediment , and a fluted canopy within which is a bronze figure . The figure is of a young man in medieval plate armour , bare headed and holding a reversed unsheathed sword . Below the figure is a rectangular stone tablet with the legend "1914-1918 " incised . There are various plaques , boards and framed document extracts relevant to both the original dedication in 1926 and the re-dedication in 2011 The Hall also contains a number of memorials which are separately listed as follows . # 99984 WW1 Books of Remembrance #99443 WW1 Boards #99983 WW2 Boards
Inscription
Memorial board: THIS BUILDING WITH THE/ CLOISTERS AND THE WEST PORCH/ WAS GIVEN BY THE OLD/ BEDFORDIANS CLUB IN MEMORY/ OF THOSE OLD BEDFORDIANS/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN/ THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918/ THE EQUIPMENT AND FURNITURE/ THROUGHOUT WERE PRESENTED BY/ OLD BEDFORDIANS MASTERS AND/ THEIR FRIENDS, EITHER AS/ PERSONAL GIFTS OR IN MEMORY/ OF PAST MEMBERS OF THIS SCHOOL/ THIS BUILDING WAS OPENED ON/ JULY 26TH 1926 BY HIS ROYAL/ HIGHNESS PRINCE HENRY K.G. Brass Plaque . PRESENTED BY/WG CMD R W GAMBLIN AFC COL ,SAG ABRAHAMS TD/PRESIDENT CHAIRMAN/THE OLD BEDFORDIANS CLUB/2007-2011/ON THE OCCCASION OF THE /RE-DEDICATION OF THE MEMORIAL HALL/12 NOVEMBER 2011/ Statements by the President of the Old Bedfordians Club and Prince Henry , Duke of Gloucester on the dedication of the Memorial Hall in 1926 . The statements are too lengthy to be recorded in full and can be viewed in the images section Re-dedication of the Memorial Hall 12th November 2011 . A detailed statement by The President Old Bedfordians Club on the occasion of the re-dedication in 2011 . The statement is too lengthy to be recorded in full and can be viewed in the images section . Extract from "AFTER TEN YEARS " by the Monitors of Bedford School 1928 .The statement is too lengthy to be recorded in full and can be viewed in the images section . Main door top lintel: THIS MEMORIAL BUILDING WAS OPENED BY/ HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS K.G. G.C.V.O./ ON 26TH JULY 1926
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Hall
    Measurements: depth 45 feet long, height 17½ feet, width 25 feet
    Materials: Brick
  • Board
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Wood - Oak
  • Plaques / Panels with names
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Wood - Oak
Listing information
Condition
History
2011: the hall was refurbished and the ground transformed into the school’s main staff room; the upper floor is now a meeting and reception venue. 11 November 2014: glazed and framed speeches from the hall opening (1926) and re-dedication (2011) were hung in the hall's wall.
Costs

Site: Free

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Private
Details: The site was given free by the Harpur Trust and the money for the construction cost was raised by Old Bedfordians and their friends.
Responsibility
School
Reference

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

This information is made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC licence.

This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement:

© WMR-7648

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