An avenue of trees has been planted in the Beer Head car park as a lasting memorial to all those from the village who served during the First World War.

The Memorial Avenue has been created by the Beer 2014 Group, which was formed to commemorate the centenary of the First World War and the contribution of residents of the village.

Since 2014 it has staged exhibitions, lectures, film screenings, candle-lit readings of poetry and prose about the war, and a reconstruction of the departure in August 1914 of reservists from the village.

The group has now planted the avenue of trees to commemorate all those from Beer who served in the armed forces, on merchant ships, as nurses or as Red Cross volunteers during the First World War.

They have landscaped a strip of land 120 metres long to create a level site and have planted 30 small-leaved lime trees along the lower, seaward edge of the car park.

Plaques on oak posts are sited at the foot of 28 of the trees, each giving details of a Beer man who died in the First World War, while larger signs are sited at each of the remaining two trees, listing all the Beer residents who served and survived.

A large information board at each end of the avenue explains the significance of the avenue and describes the historical background.

Beer Men's Shed members have made wooden frames for the plaques and information boards, and last week installed the plaques on the posts on the avenue.

The path has been designed to ensure it is accessible to people with disabilities, including those in wheelchairs or on mobility scooters, and also renders it accessible to all when the surrounding ground is wet.

The area among the trees has been planted with hundreds of bulbs, including snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils and bluebells, to provide spring colour.

A strip of grassland between the avenue and the stretch of the South West Coast Path which follows Little Lane has also been sown with wild flower seeds, including those of poppies and cornflowers, respectively the British and French flowers of remembrance.

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