Summary
First World War memorial obelisk, unveiled 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
The Portland stone memorial stands on Barrow Green in a prominent location at the junction of The Street, Bury Road, and Barrow Hill, opposite Green Farmhouse (Grade II) and in close proximity to other Grade II-listed buildings. It comprises a slender obelisk standing on a pedimented pedestal, square on plan, raised on a three-stepped base.
The main inscription in incised and painted lettering on the front face of the plinth reads THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED/ BY PARISHIONERS OF BARROW/ AND FRIENDS/ IN GRATEFUL AND/ LOVING MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS VILLAGE/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR KING AND COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914–1918.
A further incised and painted inscription has been added to the upper step of the base, reading to the front AND OF/ THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE 1939–1945 WAR and to the rear, THEIR NAMES SHALL LIVE FOR EVER. The commemorated names are recorded on the sides of the plinth and the base.
The memorial is surrounded by a kerbed enclosure with eight posts and carrying a spiked metal chain.
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 which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Barrow as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 33 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The type of memorial and its location had been a source of considerable controversy, with the Rector favouring the erection of a stone tablet in the church, but parishioners voted overwhelmingly in favour of an obelisk on the village green.
The memorial was constructed in 1919 by HG Neville and Son of Mildenhall and was unveiled by Captain Owen A Clark on Sunday 28 November 1920. The names of 11 parishioners who died during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.
Local building firm HG Neville and Son were involved with the erection of a number of war memorials in Suffolk, including that at Freckenham (Grade II).
Reasons for Listing
Barrow War Memorial, which stands on Barrow Green, 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:
* an elegant war memorial obelisk, in the Classical style.
Group value:
* with Green Farmhouse and other Grade II-listed buildings around Barrow Green.
External Links
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
Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living