Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled in 1922, with further names added after the Second World War.

Description

The memorial is located on a green off Church Road in Wootton and it comprises a stone Latin cross surmounting a rectangular tapered shaft set on a rectangular plinth. This is set upon a three-stepped base. Two decorated brackets support the arms of the cross and the dates 1914 1919 are carved in relief on the arms of the cross.

Stone plaques have been fixed to the memorial; the one on the front face of the plinth bears the inscription ERECTED/ TO THE MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF THE/ PARISH OF WOOTTON/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN/ THE GREAT WAR. The other faces carry plaques inscribed with the names of the fallen.

The base of the shaft carries a plaque which is inscribed 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES).

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 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, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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 Wootton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 43 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. 

The memorial was originally located at the junction of Church Road and Cranfield Road but was relocated in the late 1970s. It was unveiled in 1922.

Following the Second World War, the names of seven who lost their lives in that conflict were also added.

Reasons for Listing

Wootton 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 conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: an elegant and striking Latin cross.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478398

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

• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)