Help Tring war memorial last another century

The memorial in Tring will turn 100 on November 28, 2018, having been erected 17 days after Armistice Day.

Now the Church of Saint Peter & Saint Paul are raising funds for the work.

Parish coordinator, Ted Oram, said: “Our hope is to have it fixed, clean, and made ready so that it can stand proud for another 100 years.

“This is a tribute to those who made the supreme sacrifice; we wouldn’t want people who go past it to think that Tring doesn’t care.”

The memorial is based in the grounds of the church, just off Tring High Street, and has been a listed building since 1986.It is made up of a three-stepped stone base, surmounted by plinth, shaft and crucifix.

The history of the memorial is wrapped in some mystery, as the engraving did not take place for several years – possibly in 1920.

But Mr Oram said it was commonly believed to be the UK’s oldest freestanding war memorial to the Great War.

Since then the lettering has slipped and broken on the original plaque and several slabs are missing, while the memorial overall needs a true clean to be back to its former glory.

Tring Town Council has offered £1,000 towards the cost, and the War Memorials Trust has committed to pay 
75 per cent of the remedial work.

However the cost is expected to be in excess of £3,000, plus possible VAT, and the church will need to initially borrow the money before having the money paid by the War Memorials Trust once the work is completed.

Mr Oram said: “We are starting the work now, even while the fundraising is going on, because it is important to get this completed.

“If we wait until next spring I’d be worried the work would not be completed in time for the anniversary.”

Anyone interested in making donations to the church’s funds can send cheques, made payable to Tring Team Parish and endorsed for the war memorial, to Ted Oram, 31 Nethaniel Walk, Tring, HP23 5DG.

>What other landmarks in Dacorum need some TLC? Email your nominations to [email protected]