On 11th November 2014 a memorial was unveiled in the Jephson Gardens, between the Aviary and Willes Road entrance. The memorial will remember all those who played any part in World War One, including the widows and orphans and those who served at home.
The Leamington History Group applied for the grant for the memorial and worked with Warwick District Council and Leamington Town Council to commission the sculpture.
The memorial was designed by Tim Tolkien and the central feature consists of two poppies in flower and one stem with a seed-head at the top.
All the poppies are entwined with barbed wire and this extends to wrap around some adjoining fencing. The tablet in front states simply “The Poppies; Lest We Forget”. The plaque naming the sculptor calls it “Barbed Poppies”.
It is a subtle design which is not quite as immediate in effect as the sea of poppies surrounding the Tower of London in November 2014 but many people we have spoken to agreed that it evoked a strong emotional response.