Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 1920.

Description

Hook War Memorial is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Paul, Hook.

The upper section of the memorial is a pediment, bearing a Latin cross in front of a crossed sword and anchor with rope motif in the tympanum, which also contains wreaths and leaves. The frieze below reads 1914 / TO OUR GLORIOUS DEAD / 1918. Under this is a rectangular stone tablet bearing the names of the fallen in two columns; below the names is the inscription "WHO STANDS IF FREEDOM FALL?" / "WHO DIES IF ENGLAND LIVE?". The tablet is flanked on either side with a Corinthian column. The tablet and columns stand on a two-stage single-stepped base. The front face of the upper stage of the base bears the inscription THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED BY THE / PARISHIONERS OF HOOK AND SOUTHBOROUGH / IN MEMORY OF THE MEN / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR US. The whole stands on a single step of a contrasting material.

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, 21 March 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. 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 in St Paul's Churchyard, Hook as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was unveiled on 26 September 1920.

Reasons for Listing

Hook 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 this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the First World War;
* Design: as an attractive and well-designed war memorial.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478604

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

• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record