UK National Inventory of War Memorials
Encyclopedia
The UK National Inventory of War Memorials (UKNIWM) was founded in 1989 to build a comprehensive record of every war memorial
in the United Kingdom
(including England
, Scotland
, Wales
, Northern Ireland
, the Isle of Man
and the Channel Islands
).
Based at the Imperial War Museum
in London
, the project has so far recorded around 60,000 war memorials. This work has largely been carried out by a nation-wide group of volunteer fieldworkers. Details of over 55,000 memorials are available on the online database
. Further information is stored in a paper archive.
Details collected include: description, photographs, inscription, location, materials, craftsmen and architects, details of unveiling ceremonies, any repairs or alterations, references and further information about those commemorated.
War memorials are defined as any physical object erected to commemorate both those killed in, or as a result of war, and those who served and returned alive. This includes memorials to civilian casualties and animals. While most memorials commemorate the First World War and Second World War, all conflicts are covered, from the Roman Occupation of Britain
to current day actions in Iraq
and Afghanistan
.
The UKNIWM is a registered charitable company and also works to promote the appreciation, use and preservation of war memorials.
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(including England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
and the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
).
Based at the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the project has so far recorded around 60,000 war memorials. This work has largely been carried out by a nation-wide group of volunteer fieldworkers. Details of over 55,000 memorials are available on the online database
Online database
An online database is a database accessible from a network, including from the Internet.It differs from a local database, held in an individual computer or its attached storage, such as a CD....
. Further information is stored in a paper archive.
Details collected include: description, photographs, inscription, location, materials, craftsmen and architects, details of unveiling ceremonies, any repairs or alterations, references and further information about those commemorated.
War memorials are defined as any physical object erected to commemorate both those killed in, or as a result of war, and those who served and returned alive. This includes memorials to civilian casualties and animals. While most memorials commemorate the First World War and Second World War, all conflicts are covered, from the Roman Occupation of Britain
Roman conquest of Britain
The Roman conquest of Britain was a gradual process, beginning effectively in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius, whose general Aulus Plautius served as first governor of Britannia. Great Britain had already frequently been the target of invasions, planned and actual, by forces of the Roman Republic and...
to current day actions in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
The UKNIWM is a registered charitable company and also works to promote the appreciation, use and preservation of war memorials.
See also
- Commonwealth War Graves CommissionCommonwealth War Graves CommissionThe Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
- British War Memorial Project
- War memorialWar memorialA war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
- Scottish War MemorialsScottish war memorialsScottish war memorials are found in all communities in Scotland. They are found on most main streets and most churches in Scotland. Many commemorate the sacrifice of the First World War but there are many others to wars before and since 1914–1918...
External links
- UKNIWM home page and database portal
- UKNIWM blog - news and articles about UK war memorials
- National Heritage Memorial Fund information sheet (Word doc)
- UKNIWM listing at Intute
- Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales: UKNIWM listing
- Archaeology Information Centre (UK): UKNIWM listing