Mells: Siegfried Sassoon’s Grave

Mells is a beautiful Somerset village, close to the town of Frome. It is set in the middle of glorious countryside, with plentiful opportunities for walking and cycling. It is also home to a lovely cafe with some of the most welcoming and helpful staff ever- as well as delicious food!

St Andrew’s Church is an attractive building which boasts a number of notable burials, including Ronald Knox (best known for his translation of the Bible) and Sir Maurice Bonham Carter (grandfather of the actress, Helena Bonham Carter) and an impressive statue of Edward Horner on horseback stands in the church. Among the graves in the churchyard is that of Siegfried Sassoon, the war poet.

Whilst at the front line for the first time, Sassoon was awarded the Military Cross for bravery - a medal which he later threw away. By 1917, he had become an outspoken opponent of the war and his ‘Declaration of Wilful Defiance’ nearly resulted in a court-martial. Robert Graves (author of ‘I, Claudius’ amongst other things) intervened on his behalf and he was admitted instead to a War Hospital in  Edinburgh suffering from 'shell-shock' where he met Wilfred Owen, encouraging him to write poetry.

Sassoon is best remembered for his war poems and is among 16 Great War poets commemorated on a slate stone unveiled in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey, but he is buried in the churchyard at St Andrew’s Church.

The General

“Good-morning, good-morning!” the General said

When we met him last week on our way to the line.

Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of 'em dead,

And we're cursing his staff for incompetent swine.

“He's a cheery old card,” grunted Harry to Jack

As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack.

But he did for them both by his plan of attack.