War information board unveiled in Tadley
AN INFORMATION board remembering Tadley’s war history has been unveiled in the town’s memorial garden.
The new Tadley war memorial information board was officially opened on Saturday 25, in a small ceremony.
The Tadley war memorial cross – a granite Maltese cross – dates back to 1929, when it was first erected to commemorate men who had lost their lives in the First World War.
It was unveiled on November 10, 1929, and was located on a site close to the memorial garden at the side of the A340 on land given by Mrs Chetwynd Christy of Elmhurst.
In 1963, the memorial cross was repositioned to the Memorial Hall at The Green, and in 1986 it was moved to the grounds of St Paul’s Church, where it remains today.
Following the cross’s removal in 1963, a memorial garden was established to mark the original site of the cross, however this had to be removed in 1981 due to the reconfiguration of the road.
A new memorial garden was then recreated on the present site, which is next to Hicks Close.
On November 4, 2005, a green marble cross was positioned in the garden following the restoration and replanting of it by the Heath End Gardening Club.
Tadley and District History Society (TADS) chairman Carol Stevens said: “It became apparent as years went by that fewer people were aware of the history of the War Memorial and the reason for the garden.
“TADS, with the support of Tadley Town Council, have created an information board in the hope that present and future generations of Tadley residents will better understand the history of the memorial and the garden.”
