Fen Drayton War Memorial

Fen Drayton War Memorial honours the men of Fen Drayton, a village in South Cambridgeshire, England, who died in the two World Wars. The limestone obelisk dates from around 1920 and stands where Horse and Gate Street meets Church Street, in the heart of the village. It has been a Grade II listed structure since 1984 (National Heritage List for England, entry 1127240).

What will you see at the memorial?

The design is plain and restrained, in the manner of many English village memorials. A square base rises in four steps and carries a square plinth. A slender obelisk, tapering towards the top, crowns the whole. The stone is limestone, and the inscriptions are cut into the sides of the plinth.

The south face carries a dedication to those who fell in the Great War, 1914 to 1918, and records that local residents raised the memorial. A verse from scripture on the theme of remembrance sits beneath it. The west face has a separate dedication to the Second World War, 1939 to 1945.

Who is commemorated?

The roll is short, which reflects the size of the village. Five names belong to the First World War: Ernest Carter, Walter Lambert, Thomas Moody, Ernest Wilfred Skinner and William Ewart Skinner. Two belong to the Second World War: George Finlay and Matthew Scott. Biographies of several of the men have been gathered by the roll-of-honour.com project.

How do you find it?

The memorial stands on a public road at a visible junction, so no detour along side paths is needed. Visiting is free, with no ticket or booking. The coordinates are roughly 52.2951 N, 0.0354 W. The village lies north-west of Cambridge, close to the route between Cambridge and Huntingdon.

How long should you allow?

A look at the monument takes a few minutes. It fits naturally into a short stroll around the village and a visit to the nearby church on Church Street. Read the inscriptions on both faces of the plinth and compare them with the short list of names.

Frequently asked questions

Is Fen Drayton War Memorial a protected monument? Yes. It is a Grade II listed structure, entry number 1127240 on the National Heritage List for England, with a listing date given as 25 September 1984.

When was the memorial built? Around 1920, shortly after the First World War. The Second World War dedication was added later.

How many names are on it? Seven: five from 1914 to 1918 and two from 1939 to 1945.

Is there an entrance fee? No. The memorial stands in the open in the village and can be seen at any time.