Summary
First World War memorial cross, unveiled 1921.
Description
The memorial stands in a prominent position in the churchyard, beside the south porch of the Church of St Mary (Grade II*). It comprises a blind wheel-head cross rising from a tapering plinth, with a two-stepped base. The front face of the cross bears a reversed sword carved in low relief. The Portland stone memorial stands approximately 3.3m high.
The principal dedicatory inscription to the front face of the plinth reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO FELL IN THE WAR/ 1914–1918/ (19 NAMES)/ “GOD PROVED THEM AND FOUND THEM WORTHY OF HIMSELF.”
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 Benhall as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 19 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 4 September 1921 by Major-General WEB Smith. The community’s Second World War dead are commemorated on stone tablet in the church, unveiled in 1946.
Reasons for Listing
Benhall War Memorial Cross, which stands in the churchyard, 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 First World War.
Architectural interest:
* an imposing war memorial cross in Portland stone, in the Celtic style;
* unusually, the memorial has not been adapted for Second World War commemoration, and thus retains its original design intent.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Mary (Grade II*).
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
Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)