Poppy of Honour permanent home fundraising continues

The 2.6-metre-tall memorial was on display at Somerset Armed Forces Day 2025, attracting visitors with the 1,117,635 individual remembrance handwritten poppies inside its encasement.

Read More:

Poppy of Honour in Taunton country park on national tour

Dame Joanna Lumley becomes patron of Somerset war memorial

Poppy of Honour Pavilion proposals for Maidenbrook

Created in 2018 by Terry Williams, it is the only national memorial that commemorates British and Commonwealth Servicemen and Servicewomen listed as killed or missing in World War One.

With planning consent for a purpose-built pavilion approved, West Monkton Parish Council is fundraising to “bring the Poppy home”. The cost of the structure is expected to be in the region of £140,000.

Speaking at Somerset Armed Forces Day, Secretary of the Poppy of Honour Committee, Charlotte Bawdon, said: “There’s not one memorial that commemorates every single person who died in the First World War. We’ve got limited-edition artist prints available for sale, with only 500 of each made.”

The Poppy of Honour is currently on a national tour, having recently had a positive reception at Plymouth Armed Forces Day last weekend. On July 12, the memorial will be at the Funfest family event in Maidenbrook Country Park.

Bob Staple, Chairman of the Poppy of Honour Committee, said: “We are working towards getting a permanent home for the memorial in Maidenbrook Country Park. It would have poppies planted around the memorial.”

Once completed, it is expected that up to 100,000 visitors would visit the memorial per year. It would be free to visit and serve as the only dedicated national memorial for each of the fallen in World War One.

To find out more about the Poppy of Honour, visit: http://bit.ly/3TYsTxU