Cyclists' war memorial on the Green
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Cyclists' war memorial on the Green by Robin Stott as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk
Cyclists' war memorial on the Green
Image: © Robin Stott Taken: 15 Aug 2011
It originally commemorated the cyclists who served in the First World War as scouts and messengers, often behind enemy lines — lonely, dangerous and sometimes fatal work. Built of concrete faced with Cornish granite, it was unveiled by Lord Birkenhead on Saturday, May 21st, 1921 in the presence of thousands of cyclists. The inscription is at Image A plaque has been added to commemorate cyclists who gave their lives in World War II. Meriden was a fitting location because before the war it had become a popular destination for the cycling enthusiasts of Birmingham and Coventry. For the photographer it is difficult to lend the memorial the dignity it merits; this viewpoint was chosen to show the incongruous setting at the apex of the green amid shops, parking and constant traffic.
Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Image Location
Latitude
52.437522
Longitude
-1.648976