Saltash’s 141 WW1 pebbles, faded then painstakingly restored

Look closely at the pale gravel bed in Saltash’s Peace Garden and you will count 141 painted pebbles. One hundred and forty stand for the town’s named fallen of the First World War. The last one is for every man whose name was never recorded. For a while the colours had gone soft, worn down by years of weather. Now they are back, as bright as the day they were first laid.

One pebble for every name

The Great War Pebble Memorial was first installed in 2018 in the town’s Peace Garden. The idea is simple, and that is the point. Each hand-painted pebble carries a life, 140 of them named, plus one more to honour the men who were left off the record.

The whole thing began with a single stone. When Mayor Cllr Brian Stoyel unveiled the restored memorial, he was assisted by Krystal, who had donated the initiation pebble that inspired the memorial in the first place.

Over the years, the pebbles began to fade. Former members of the Saltash Great War Commemoration Committee (SGWCC) noticed, and out of respect for the fallen they approached Saltash Town Council about putting it right.

“[The Saltash Great War Commemoration Committee’s] mission was to commemorate Saltash’s fallen during the First World War. For me, personally, one of the most poignant projects was the Pebble Memorial,” said Lynn Marsh, a former member of the SGWCC. “Unfortunately, over the years since installation, some of the pebbles had faded. Sue, John, Tony and I, out of respect and meaningful remembrance for the fallen, sought Saltash Town Council’s permission for a renovation project, and our thanks go to them.”

Lipstick, nail varnish and a Sharpie

Part of the reason the designs wore away comes down to what they were painted with. The original pebbles had been decorated with whatever came to hand, and that included nail varnish, Sharpie and even lipstick. Some mediums held up better than others out in the open air.

This time the choice of paint was deliberate. Local artist David Whittley repainted every pebble with professional acrylics, and the finished stones now sit under a UV-resistant coating built to hold their colour for years.

Three months of repainting

In September 2025, Wayne Hambly and his team at South West Surfacing Specialists carefully lifted all 141 pebbles from the memorial. David Whittley then spent three months at the repainting, one stone at a time.

“Some of the designs were quite intricate and small. I was absolutely amazed at some of the skill of the paintings on the pebbles,” said David.

Read aloud, one by one

On 28 May 2026, South West Surfacing returned to the Peace Garden to resurface the memorial area and put every pebble back exactly where it belonged. As they worked, the team read out the name of the fallen soldier tied to each pebble before placing it down. One name, then one stone, all the way through.

The rededication

The unveiling and rededication ceremony was held on Tuesday 28 July 2026, the 112th anniversary of the start of the First World War. Alongside Mayor Cllr Brian Stoyel, there were speeches from former SGWCC members Lynn Marsh and Sue Hooper. The Reverend Laura Bushell Hawke led the rededication, and a wreath was then laid by the Mayor and Mayoress of Saltash, Cllr Brian Stoyel and Mrs Maxine Stoyel.

Deputy Mayor Cllr Brenda Samuels and Tony Marsh, another former SGWCC member, read poetry: ‘Flanders Fields Revisited’ by the late Steve Cannan, and ‘Where the Poppies Now Grow’ by former Saltash Community School pupil Morgan Anniss. A two-minute silence followed, closed by piper David Parry.

Former Mayor Cllr Rachel Bullock, fellow councillors, the Town Clerk, council staff, David and Lynne Whittley, Wayne Hambly and his team, and members of the public all turned out for the day.

“The World War One Pebble Memorial is unique in its simplicity, but every pebble tells a story. Preserving memorials such as this is incredibly important. They help future generations understand the sacrifices that were made, and encourage reflection on the values of service, resilience and peace,” said Brian.

“I’m proud that Saltash Town Council has been able to support this restoration project, alongside former members of the Saltash Great War Commemoration Committee. This project demonstrates what can be achieved when local organisations, volunteers, councillors, and members of the community come together with a shared purpose.”