Summary
War memorial, c1920.
Description
War memorial, c1920.
MATERIALS: constructed from roughly hewn granite.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is a Latin cross on plinth with a rounded top. The outward face of the plinth is polished and inscribed, with applied lettering, ‘IN / GRATEFUL MEMORY / OF / THE MEN OF THE DISTRICT / WHO GAVE / THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1918 / AND THE WORLD WAR / 1939 – 1945’.
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, 6 December 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. The memorial at the Church of St Alphege is one such example, which was raised as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by those who lost their lives in the conflict.
The memorial is believed to have originally been erected at the predecessor to the present Church of St Alphege, which was a temporary ‘tin tabernacle’, 450m to the south-west. The new church was built in 1959, and the memorial moved to the new location – though 20m south-west of where it stands presently; a hall and storage unit were added to the church in the early 1990s, and it is presumed that the memorial was repositioned at that time.
No records related to the commissioning, erection or unveiling of the memorial have been found, however, evidence suggests it was raised by the congregation of the church. As with many First World War memorials, an additional inscription was made following the Second World War.
Reasons for Listing
The war memorial at the Church of St Alphege is listed at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* As a symbol of the great impact made by the First and Second World Wars on the local community, and as a focal point for remembrance.
Architectural interest:
* A simple, dignified cruciform design, reflecting the Christian values of the congregation by whom it was erected.
Group value:
* With the Church of St Alphege, listed at 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
Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (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]
Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)