Summary
First World War memorial, erected around 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
First World War memorial, erected around 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.
DESCRIPTION: of rock-hewn granite with ashlar panels to the base which record the names of the fallen with inset lead lettering. The cross and shaft are square in section and the base is hexagonal with a hexagonal plinth and enclosure which is bordered by curb stones and includes a flat stone tablet which extends from the base of the cross to the edge of the enclosure and records the names of the fallen from the Second World War.
The cross is plain with a Latin head and tapered shaft. The octagonal base is sharply tapered and has a recessed ashlar panel to each side recording one of the fallen. Running around the riser of the base is an inscription: ‘IN HONOURED MEMORY OF / THOSE OF THIS PARISH / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1919.’ The flat stone of trapezoidal shape, recording the names of the fallen from the Second World War, is inscribed ‘TO THE GLORY OF GOD’ at the top of the stone, and ‘1939 – 1945’ below.
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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Peter Tavy 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 at Peter Tavy appears to have been designed about 1920 and altered after 1945. The memorial was restored in 2011.
Reasons for Listing
Peter Tavy 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 the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial, which takes the form of a granite pylon with base.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Peter, Peter Tavy (Grade I), in which churchyard it stands to the south of the church.
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
Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)