Rising Sun Memorial Alan Payne Photos courtesy Varian Tye November 2019
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Most villagers know about the tragedy of the Rising Sun Public House on Box Hill when a gas explosion in the cellar killed three members of the Griffin family on 4 December 1957. The disaster is etched in the memory of contemporary Box residents in the same way that the death of Diana Princess of Wales was forty years later.
The Rising Sun Memorial Committee has been trying to make a permanent memorial at the site. Now their marvellous crowd fundraising and other grants have come to fruition with the site held in community ownership, a new supporting wall built for the north boundary line and a dedicated memorial display board erected (seen above).
The Rising Sun Memorial Committee has been trying to make a permanent memorial at the site. Now their marvellous crowd fundraising and other grants have come to fruition with the site held in community ownership, a new supporting wall built for the north boundary line and a dedicated memorial display board erected (seen above).
The site has now significantly altered its character, away from the sadness of the tragedy to something more uplifting as a suitable tribute to the people who lost their lives. It is now central to some of the most impressive views of the Box Valley, worthy to commemorate the disaster whilst giving hope to all of us for the future.
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Going Forward
The committee have a Management Plan for continuing to improve the site. Extract details are for work completed:
Sep 2019 - Sow wild flower meadow seeds provided by the Cotswold Conservation Board on the lower site area.
Nov 2019 - Remove damaged hand rails from upper site area.
Nov 2019 - Remove the safety/hand rail adjacent to the descending ramp.
Future plans include:
Feb 2020 - Restore the safety/hand rail - funds permitting.
Mar 2020 - Raise crown of Field Maple in order to encourage wild flower growth.
Oct 2020 - Fell Ash dieback diseased tree - funds permitting.
Oct 2020 - Plant 2 x Silver Birch trees to replace the diseased Ash Tree.
As seen, opportunity to develop these plans partly depends on funding, and the committee would welcome any support on this worthwhile memorial to Box's history.
The committee have a Management Plan for continuing to improve the site. Extract details are for work completed:
Sep 2019 - Sow wild flower meadow seeds provided by the Cotswold Conservation Board on the lower site area.
Nov 2019 - Remove damaged hand rails from upper site area.
Nov 2019 - Remove the safety/hand rail adjacent to the descending ramp.
Future plans include:
Feb 2020 - Restore the safety/hand rail - funds permitting.
Mar 2020 - Raise crown of Field Maple in order to encourage wild flower growth.
Oct 2020 - Fell Ash dieback diseased tree - funds permitting.
Oct 2020 - Plant 2 x Silver Birch trees to replace the diseased Ash Tree.
As seen, opportunity to develop these plans partly depends on funding, and the committee would welcome any support on this worthwhile memorial to Box's history.