War Memorial at Ayot St Peter in Hertfordshire

Ayot St Peter is a village in Hertfordshire, about two miles north-west of Welwyn Garden City. The new church was erected on its present site in the 1870's. The church was built from contributions principally from Earl Cowper and Mr. George Robinson of Ayot Bury, from designs by J. P. Seddon. It is a red brick building with Bath stone dressings and a tiled roof, and consists of an apsidal chancel with organ chamber on the south side, nave, north porch and tower.

Ayot St Peter Church, Hertfordshire

The memorial resembles an Eleanor Cross [1] with shields on each face. It is placed in the churchyard of St Peter's Church [2].

1914/18 and 1939/45 War Memorial outside Ayot St Peter's Church

To the glory of God

and in honour of the men

of this parish who fell in the

Great War 1914 - 1919

Front Face

Comr George D. Jephson. R.N.

Sergt William Welsh. R.A.F.

Corpl Ernest G Fitt Beds Regt.

L. Cpl R. J. Harwood. Herts. Regt.

L. Cpl H. W. Philpotts. London Regt.

L. Cpl I. Wigmore. Royal Scots

L. Cpl P. J. Gaylor London Scottish

Right-hand Face

Pte Alick L Baker. Lancs RTC

Pte S. G. Butterfield. Royal Fvsrs

Pte George Day. Royal Fvsrs

Pte G Draper. London Rifles

Pte Samuel Draper. A.S.C.

Pte George A. Ellis. Essex Terrl

Pte John Ellis. Essex Regt

Left-hand Face

Pte Stacey Gamgee. Herts Regt

Pte J. G. Giddings. Berks Regt

Pte Alfred J. King Beds Regt

Pte Jesse Mardling Beds Regt

Pte Alfred Shepherd Herts Regt

Pte Cecil B. White Royal Fvsrs

Roll of Honour

There is also a handwritten roll of honour in the church comprising a list of names, presumably in order of death, handwritten by the then rector, Rev. Canon Henry Jephson M.A. (whose son was among those killed) [3]. I was unable to access the roll to take a picture as the church was locked when I visited.

[1] The Eleanor crosses were a series of twelve lavishly decorated stone monuments topped with tall crosses of which three survive nearly intact in a line down part of the east of England. King Edward I had the crosses erected between 1291 and 1294 in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile.

[2] IWM War Memorials (http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/14625)

[3] IWM War Memorials (http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/20020)