Summary

A First World War memorial, executed by Messrs W & J Mellor and dedicated in 1923, with Second World War additions.

Description

A First World War memorial, executed by Messrs W & J Mellor and dedicated in 1923, with Second World War additions.

MATERIALS: of granite.

PLAN: it is octagonal on plan.

DETAILS: the memorial faces north-east and takes the form of a plain obelisk standing upon an octagonal base of four steps. The base supports a square plinth which is inscribed on its north-east face: '1939 - 1945', along with the names of the 28 men who died during the Second World War. Standing on the plinth is a tall pedestal which tapers from a chamfered base to a simple cornice which is inscribed on its north-east face: ‘1914 THE GREAT WAR 1918’. The north-east, north-west and south-west faces of the pedestal are inscribed with the names of the 121 men of the parish who died during this conflict. Rising from the pedestal is a tall shaft which tapers in square section to a moulded capstone with a palmette finial. The shaft is ornamented on its north-east face with the sheathed sword of peace and the laurel wreath of victory, below which is the inscription: TO / OUR / GLORIOUS / DEAD’.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the late-C20 metal railings and stone rubble walling which form the oval-shaped enclosure within which the war memorial stands are not of special architectural or historic interest and are therefore excluded from the listing.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 19 January 2017.

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. One such memorial was erected in 1923 at Audley to commemorate the 121 men of the parish who died during the conflict. It was executed by the sculptors Messrs W & J Mellor and was built in the grounds of the then vicarage to the Church of St James; the vicarage is now a residential care home known as Wilbraham House. Following the Second World War a second dedicatory inscription was added to commemorate the 28 local men who died during this conflict.

Reasons for Listing

Audley war memorial, executed by Messrs W & J Mellor and dedicated in 1923, with Second World War additions, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of a world events on this community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial which takes the form of a granite obelisk;
* Group value: it has a strong group value with the Church of St James (Grade II*) and St James's Church Hall (Grade II), and makes a significant contribution to the character and appearance of the Audley Conservation Area.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26676867

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

• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)