A NEW war memorial has been dedicated to the 16 men from Upper Arley who lost their lives in the First World War.

Earlier in the year, the Parish Council, which consists of Arley, Shatterford and Pound Green, decided to create a memorial in the village as a sign of remembrance.

The council decided on a stone which was specifically chosen from a nearby quarry, owned by the family of village residents Paul and John Lawley.

The stone that was donated by the brothers is the same type which was used in the building of the village church and also helped to create Worcester Cathedral.

A small garden area behind the stone is also included in the memorial with 16 cyclamen planted, dedicated to the men from the village who lost their lives in the conflict.

During Remembrance Sunday, The Rev Rose Lawley conducted a service of dedication at the stone memorial where she remembered the local men who lost their lives and also spoke about the lives lost in all conflicts to the present day.

Susan Rickhuss, Upper Arley councillor, said: “The Rev Rose Lawley did an absolutely lovely dedication service.

“My husband Graham, who is the chairman of the council, laid a wreath of poppies and also read a poem before the last post was played.

“It was a beautiful service and we must have had a good 80 people come out to show their respects.

“Everyone who attended found it to be just perfect and very moving.”

Prior to the service, Susan was able to contact family members of some of the men remembered, with two members of Richard Cartwright’s family travelling to the village from North Wales, and three members of Thomas Waldron’s family attending from Tamworth.

The 16 men who were remembered during the service, and also have their names on a plaque inside St Peter’s Church, are George Henry Steward, George Dutson, Robert Woodward, Sydney Mulliner, James Watkins, Charles Link, William Henry Taylor, Francis Herbert Jackson, Richard W Cartwright, John George, Matthew Whatmore, William Haycox, Thomas E Waldron, George E Higgins, Joseph H Cooper, and William C Griffiths.