Rhayader's memorial clock tower

Clock towers standing proudly in the centre of towns are popular in parts of Wales. There is a splendid example in Machynleth. When the people of Rhayader decided what sort of war memorial they wanted after the end of the First World War, they opted for a clock tower of their own. It is a beautifully designed and executed structure, the clock having been donated by Mrs Mary Lewis in memory of her late husband Evan. Perhaps the most striking aspects of the memorial are the four carved stone images around the top of the plinth. One is of a soldier, one an angel holding a wreath and a third an evocative image of an angel protecting a child under its wing. To me however the most striking is that of the Welsh Dragon holding a (German) eagle down with its claw.

The clock tower cost £1,200 to erect from public subscriptions and was unveiled in September 1924. The sculptor was a local man by the name of Benjamin Lloyd who came from humble origins. He was the son of a shoemaker and the grandson of a drover. At the age of 12 he was apprenticed to a monumental masons in Newbridge-on-Wye by and about this time he became friendly with a leading Victorian artist called Banks Davies who lived at Glaslyn, not far from Rhayader. Ben would assist him with his sketching and soon developed artistic skills of his own. Recognising the boy's ability, Davies arranged for him to go to the London College of Art where his talents blossomed, particularly in sculpture. Whilst he was in London, he worked on a number of important commissions and his work was exhibited at the Royal Academy and an exhibition in Paris.

Benjamin returned to Rhayader at the outbreak of the First World War at the age of 46 and started a successful business in Bridge Street. In 1921, his son (also Ben) took over, having been trained by his father. His particular skills however were in letter-cutting and the inaugural plaques to many local schools still exhibit his skill. Today, the firm still operates from the same site in Rhayader and is still owned and run by the family.

Returning home

A beautiful war memorial in Aberystwyth has been returned to its original position in Powell Street having been in safe keeping in the town's Ceredigion Museum since the Tabernacl church which it was designed for was destroyed by fire in 2008. The memorial is to the memory of 14 men from the congregation who lost their lives in the First World War. A Mr TD Jenkins who was a member of the committee set up to commission the memorial had served in Italy during the War and recommended an Italian sculptor, Professor Mario Rutelli, "one of the most brilliant sculptors of the day".

Rutelli, who went on to create the main town memorial on Castle Hill, worked in Sicilian granite and  produced a bronze figure with a wreath in its hair, standing with one foot on a sphere and clasping a bundle of palms in its arms "...in the act of alighting on the earth to impart the news of victory and peace to all". It was unveiled on 6th July 1921.On the NW. face, a tablet bears the names of those from Tabernacl who died in the 1939-45 war.

It's an outstandingly beautiful memorial and well worth a visit if you get the opportunity.

Extending into Mid Wales

 It is a year or two now since my book 'Sites of Remembrance: the war memorials of Shropshire' was published. Sales have gone well and I have been pleased to be inviting to talk to many groups and organisations. It's a subject on which a surprisingly wide range of people have an interest and it has been good to meet them. The book is still available. Please contact me on peterjohnfrancis@googlemail.com if you would like to buy one or use the paypal button here.

For a while now I have been extending my research to cover the many and veried memorials of Mid Wales and have been asked to give a number of talks as a result. I have decided therefore to extend the content of my blog in a similar way. I hope you enjoy the new articles. As a start, here is a selection of my favourite Mid Welsh war memorials.

Chirk

Builth Wells figures

Newtown park gates

Aberystwyth

Builth Wells