Buckinghamshire Council has approved a repair plan for a First World War memorial window at High Wycombe’s Grade I-listed Guildhall after its lower section began to bow. The plan includes a guard that the High Wycombe Society says could obscure the glass.
Installed in 1923, the 2.45-metre window commemorates 5,000 men from the town who fought in the war and returned. Its scene shows a white-robed figure of peace welcoming a weary soldier; badges represent 12 military units and organisations associated with Wycombe men.
The repair would flatten the bowed section to prevent further movement and possible failure of the glass. The planned black, powder-coated stainless-steel guard would sit outside the Guildhall’s west side. A design statement said it was sought because the town-centre window was considered vulnerable to vandalism. The Society said protection should preserve views, especially when the glass is unlit, while a planning officer judged the guard the most effective safeguard. Consent was issued Monday, but no start date was given.
