Summary

First World War memorial, erected c.1920. Further inscription added after the Second World War.

Description

First World War memorial, erected c.1920. Further inscription added after the Second World War.

MATERIALS: carved from local limestone.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial is situated on a grassed bank at a junction on the north-west edge of the village. It takes the form of a Celtic cross, with a moulded collar below, on a tapering octagonal column. The square-shaped plinth has a mid-C20 metal plaque on the side facing the road (south-east which is inscribed in white painted lettering: This Cross was raised to commemorate those men/ of this Parish who fell in the Great War 1914-1918/ and the World War 1939-1945. Below are the dates of the respective conflicts and the names of the fallen from both conflicts. The substantial two-stepped base sits on a platform which has mouldings to the top and bottom. The front faces of the steps are inscribed with text. The upper step reads: LET THOSE WHO COME AFTER SEE TO IT/ THAT THEIR NAMES BE NOT FORGOTTEN; the lower steps is inscribed: GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS/ THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS. The text is worn in places.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: four stone steps which are set into the bank lead up to the memorial.

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, 10 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 Bagendon to commemorate the eleven men from the local community who died during the conflict. A new plaque inscribed with the names of the men who lost their lives during the First World War and the two who died during the Second World War was added in the mid-C20.

Reasons for Listing

Bagendon war memorial, erected in c.1920, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: as a prominent and well-designed memorial incorporating a Celtic cross.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26677285

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

• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
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  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]