Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled 19 January 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
First World War memorial, 1920, with Second World War additions.
DESCRIPTION: Newstead War Memorial stands on concrete slabs and is set in a grassed area enclosed by black wrought iron railings with a gate on the west side.
The memorial comprises a granite wheel-head cross set on a tapering shaft set on a tapering plinth. This stands on three rectangular steps.
Each side of the plinth carries a plaque inscribed with white lettering. On the eastern face of the memorial the plaque is inscribed with IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE/ OFFICERS AND MEN OF NEWSTEAD/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919. Beneath this follows the names of three men with their rank and regiment listed. Beneath this on the upper step is inscribed PASS NOT THIS CROSS IN SORROW BUT IN PRIDE/ AND MAY YOU LIVE AS NOBLY AS THEY DIED. The northern and southern faces of the plinth list a further 14 servicemen in total all listed by rank and regiment, seven on each face. The western face of the plinth is inscribed with 1939 – 1945 below which is listed five names of servicemen also listed by rank and regiment.
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 Newstead 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 erected on public ground and it was unveiled and dedicated on the 19 January 1920 with the ceremony attended by Lt Gen Sir Herbert Cherimside GCMB CB along with other local dignitaries and clergy. It carried the names of seventeen service personnel who served in the First World War listing their name, rank and regiment. After the Second World War a further five names were added. The land came into the possession of the National Coal Board and in 1952 an informal agreement was made with Newstead Parish Council that the land would be gifted to them and they would maintain it. This was officially recognised in 1985 under the Commons Registration Act of 1965.
The memorial was conserved by the Parish Council in 2016 when the inscriptions were re-gilded and the memorial plinths re-polished.
Reasons for Listing
Newstead War Memorial, which is situated on Tilford Road in Newstead, 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 sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* a simple but elegant design of a granite wheel-head cross.
Group value:
* with the Grade II-listed Hazelford Farmhouse.
External Links
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Recommended Books
Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)