Summary

War memorial, designed by Wilfrid Bond of Grantham, unveiled in 1920, dedicated to the fallen of the First World War.

Description

War memorial, designed by Wilfrid Bond of Grantham, unveiled in 1920, dedicated to the fallen of the First World War.

The limestone war memorial takes the form of an octagonal pillar on an octagonal base, and three-stepped octagonal platform, surmounted by a carved stone crucifix. The memorial is approximately 6m in height and 1.8m in width.

The accompanying plaque on the nearby east elevation of the Church of St Peter is inscribed and painted with gold lettering, and reads: ‘THE CHURCHYARD CROSS WAS ERECTED AND A PEAL OF BELLS / PUT IN THE CHURCHTOWER TO COMMEMORATE THE BRAVE / MEN WHO DIED FOR US IN THE GREAT WAR A.D. 1914 – 1918 / AND WHOSE SACRIFICE SHOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN / [99 NAMES] / GRANT THEM LORD ETERNAL REST’.

The memorial stands within a segmental forecourt approximately 6m east of the Church of St Peter (1864 by James Fowler, listed at Grade II), and to the west side of St Peter’s Avenue.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised in Cleethorpes as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The war memorial was designed by architect Wilfrid Bond of Grantham, and unveiled in a ceremony on 11 March 1920, commemorating 99 local men of Cleethorpes who fell during the First World War. The monument takes the form of an octagonal stone pillar and stands within a segmental forecourt east of the Church of St Peter (built 1864 by James Fowler, listed at Grade II). Tubular memorial bells were installed within the church, and a slate plaque inscribed with the names of the fallen was installed on the east elevation of the church at the same time (replaced in 1989 due to weathering). The bells were installed at a cost of £250, the cross £300, and slate tablet £100.

Reasons for Listing

Cleethorpes War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest:

* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* as a modest but well-executed memorial, designed by architect Wilfrid Bond of Grantham.

Group Value:

* with the Church of St Peter (Grade II).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66479180

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)