Tirah Memorial
Bonn Square, Oxford, OX1 1LQ, GB
Rating: 5.0 ★ (8 ratings)
Details
Standing tall in Oxford's Bonn Square since July 1900, the Tirah Memorial is the city's first free-standing war memorial. This 25-foot high obelisk, crafted from Bath and Doulting stone, commemorates the 62 soldiers of the 2nd Battalion of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry who perished between August 1897 and November 1898 during the Tirah Campaign on the North West Frontier of India, and one who died in Uganda. Designed by Francis Inigo Thomas, more famed for his garden designs, the memorial features a carved wreath with the number '52', representing the battalion's former regimental number. The names of the soldiers, mostly privates along with some officers and buglers, are inscribed on the plinth.
Located at a busy intersection near the Westgate Shopping Centre, Bonn Square itself has a layered history, once serving as the graveyard for St Peter-le-Bailey church before its transformation into a public garden and, more recently, a paved open square. The memorial's foundations, reaching 20 feet deep, even unearthed human remains which were re-interred at Osney Cemetery. Today, Bonn Square, named in 1974 to honour Oxford's twinning with the German city, is a well-used public space, a meeting point, and a thoroughfare that hosts various events. The Tirah Memorial remains a significant Oxford landmark, a poignant reminder of a distant campaign and the sacrifices made.
Location
Opening Hours
Monday: Open 24 hours; Tuesday: Open 24 hours; Wednesday: Open 24 hours; Thursday: Open 24 hours; Friday: Open 24 hours; Saturday: Open 24 hours; Sunday: Open 24 hours
Comments
It is the first war memorial ever erected in Oxford, and was designated a listed structure (List Entry No. 1338518) in 1972. It was erected in a public garden formed in 1874 from a redundant churchyard. (The first Church of St Peter-le-Bailey used to stand on the corner of Queen Street and New Inn Hall Street, but was demolished in 1874 as part of a road-widening scheme.) This public garden was named Bonn Square after Oxford’s first twin-town in 1974, and in 2007/8 the old trees were removed and the garden paved over.
The men who died are buried at the Landi Kotal Cemetery, Khyber Pass.
Well-maintained and serene, the site offers a space for reflection, allowing visitors to appreciate the sacrifices made. A significant historical landmark, it stands as a testament to courage and resilience.