STONEMASONS from Salisbury Cathedral have collaborated with prisoners at Erlestoke, near Devizes, to create a memorial to mark the centenary of the First World War.

The permanent war memorial was unveiled at the prison, where inmates designed the monument, on Tuesday.

It now sits on a lawn within the visitors’ area of the prison.

The four-foot high memorial, a four-sided pyramid-shape, was dedicated by the Dean of Salisbury, the Very Reverend Nicholas Papadopulos, at a special ceremony that will include prisoners, prison and cathedral staff, and visitors.

The Very Reverend Nicholas Papadopulos, Dean of Salisbury said: “It is very easy to regard prisoners as ‘out of sight and out of mind’, and to leave the job of rehabilitation to others. But we all must take responsibility for the society in which we live, and strive to make it better.

"I am incredibly proud of what has been achieved by the prisoners and our masons working together.

"We must cherish the hard-won rights and freedoms we enjoy today, inside and outside the prison system, whether working together to create something as meaningful as this memorial, or simply taking time to pause and reflect on the sacrifice of others.”

On each of three sides of the monument the badges of each of the services – Army, Navy and RAF – have been carved, with the simple words ‘land, ‘sea’ and ‘air’ inscribed beneath. A solitary gun with a helmet graces the fourth side beneath the simple quotation: “Now listen For a moment the world is silent peace be with you."

Lee Andrews, head mason at Salisbury Cathedral said: “It has been a real privilege for masons to work on this project and collaborate with the prisoners on their design.

"Between us we have worked hard to make something worthy of those who sacrificed everything."

Rory Stewart, Prisons’ Minister said: “This memorial is a moving tribute to the fallen soldiers who lost their lives bravely serving our country.

“I am grateful to Salisbury Cathedral for giving offenders from HMP Erlestoke the chance to participate in this hugely worthwhile project. Such opportunities provide a true sense of purpose – helping to support rehabilitation and allowing them to give back to society.”

The site chosen for the Erlestoke war memorial is a place that all prisoners pass as part of their daily routine, a lasting reminder of the price paid by earlier generations and what can be achieved by working together as a community.

Elizabeth Williams, Erlestoke’s Learning and Skills manager, said: “This work has allowed us to explore ideas like accountability, loyalty and honour with prisoners and consider the world beyond their confinement. Some are veterans of other conflicts and have a profound understanding of what it means to go to war, while for others it has been a learning process.”

Governor of Erlestoke prison, Tim Knight said: “There’s no doubt that there are challenges managing a prison like this but that shouldn’t overshadow the remarkable work being done by our dedicated and passionate team. We are committed to working with partner agencies like Salisbury Cathedral to provide intervention programmes, and skill and vocational based training and education to make a difference.

"We hope that by offering prisoners opportunities to participate in projects like this we can assist in their rehabilitation. None of this is a simple fix but our long-term goal.”

Dan Hobbs, Weston College Curriculum Manager for Erlestoke, who assisted on the project said;

“This has been a powerful way to raise important issues with prisoners and encourage discussion on important issues in an unforced way. The project leaves behind it a permanent statement, one which will be seen every day by the prisoners as they exercise or move from one part of the prison to another.”