Memorial tree and plaque, GUILDFORD

[S.Driscoll]

Hello, thanks for allowing me to join. My son came across the tree and plaque as above.

The plaque needs a bit of TLC, who would look after this as the OCA disbanded in 1983?

It needs a bit of cleaning and conservation.

[tharkin56]

Memorial trees and plaques are not uncommon, Have you tried the local council? Was a photo meant to have been loaded? 

[S.Driscoll]

Discovered it's in the grounds of the cathedral, we are in contact with the facilities team to see if they will adopt responsibility.

Thanks for your suggestions 

[NigelS]

In a Just Giving fundraising page for an abseil down the Cathedral tower in aid of the RBL in November' 18 (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/matthew-ogrady4) Matthew O'grady gave:
...My personal favourite is the oak tree planted by the Guildford Branch of the "Old Contemptibles" Association in 1949, to honour the memory of their comrades in the British Expeditionary Force who fell fighting the Kaiser's Army between August and November 1914.  The Cathedral is very much, therefore, a champion of Remembrance, safeguarding the memory of those who have given their lives for our freedom, which we do by caring for these and other memorials and holding Remembrance services, education workshops and other events.

 

They also get a mention in the Cathedral's 'Outdoor Tour' brochure (https://www.guildford-cathedral.org/files/Whats%20On/GC%20Outdoor%20tour.pdf):
EAST END
The statutes [sic] on the buttresses of the Lady Chapel are, from left to right: St Cecila,St Martha of Bethany, St Catherine and Lady Margaret Beaufort. The large wooden Cross is made of Burmese teak from HMS Ganges [see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ganges_(1821)] and was placed here in 1933 to mark the site of the new Cathedral. The area behind you as you look at the cross is the Cathedral Garden of Remembrance and on the far side is a tree and plaque to commemorate the Old Contemptibles – the name taken by survivors of the British Expeditionary Force after World War I.

So definitely in the Cathedral grounds, and from the statement about 'caring for these and other memorials' given in the first quote above, I would have thought that the Cathedral's ground keeping staff would be responsible for the general upkeep of the area, but on a site of this size and complexity, unfortunately, probably not at the top of the to do list, that's not to say it shouldn't be looked after though. Possibly a job for a suitably experienced (& authorised) volunteer to take on.

 

As it's not already mentioned there, it would probably be worthwhile getting the details recorded on the 'Exploring Surrey's Past' website https://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/about/

 

NigelS