Summary
First World War memorial obelisk, unveiled 1922, with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
The memorial is located within a small garden on the corner of Thorniman Lane and Middlegate Road, c13m to the south-west of Memorial Cottage (Grade II). It takes the form of a 3.7m tall obelisk of Cornish granite. Standing on a square of concrete within a grassed roadside enclosure, it has a square base, a tapering square plinth bearing the inscription, and a four sided, pyramidal, obelisk rising above.
The inscription is on the eastern face of the memorial, facing the road. In raised lead lettering, painted black, it reads ERECTED/ IN MEMORY OF/ THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR KING AND COUNTRY IN/ THE GREAT WARS/ 1914-1918/ (16 NAMES)/ 1939-1945 (1 NAME). The firm of masons is recorded in small metal letters on the southern face of the memorial: G.MAILE & SON/ EUSTON RD LONDON.
This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 25 September 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 at Frampton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The memorial was unveiled by Major Cecil Walker Bell on 9 April 1922 to commemorate the 16 men of the parish who had died during the First World War. The memorial was designed and built by the masons George Maile and Son Ltd of Euston Road, London, who also designed the war memorials at Kirton, Wooburn, Fowlmere and Pirton (all Grade II-listed). The memorial was built at a cost of c£250.
The unveiling was part of a ceremony led by local clergyman Reverend Robert G McClellan and attended by parishioners. After the ceremony a muffled peal was rung on the church bells. Following the Second World War an additional inscription was added to include one man who had died in that conflict.
Reasons for Listing
Frampton War Memorial Obelisk, which stands in an enclosure at the junction of Thornimans Lane and Middlegate Road, 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 made in the conflicts of the C20;
Architectural interest:
* A simple yet well-proportioned granite obelisk in the Classical style;
Group value:
* With Grade-II listed Memorial Cottage.
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
Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)