Summary

Churchyard memorial tomb of Vice-admiral Robert Plampin c1834. Designer unknown.

Description

MATERIALS: Portland stone and Carrara marble, over a York stone base. Original iron railings have been lost.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises a strigilated column with inscription panel to the centre of the shaft, supporting an urn. It stands on a pedestal with a worn carved upper section bearing naval trophies and a heraldic achievement.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 29/07/2011

(Formerly listed as The Tomb of Admiral Robert Pamplin)

History

Robert Plampin (1762-1834), son of John Plampin of Chadacre Hall, Suffolk, entered the Royal Navy at age 13 in 1775. He subsequently fought in various theatres of the American War of Independence, French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, making a name with the capture of the French ships Henriette and Bellone in the Indian Ocean in 1806. By 1814 he had risen to the rank of rear-admiral and in November 1816 was appointed commander-in-chief on the Cape of Good Hope and St Helena station where he was responsible for the naval forces enforcing the captivity of Napoleon on the island. Plampin was promoted to vice-admiral in 1825 and died in Florence in 1834.

Reasons for Listing

The tomb of Vice-admiral Robert Plampin in St Mary's Churchyard, Wanstead is listed for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest: as a high quality late-neoclassical memorial tomb. Pedestal tombs are encountered from the early C18 onwards and the refined Roman-inspired upper section of this tomb marks it out as an unusual memorial of its day;
Historical interest: commemorates a noted naval officer of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars;
Group value: the churchyard contains numerous other high quality memorials and is a reminder of the status Wanstead enjoyed during the Georgian period as a distinguished place of suburban residence. St Mary's Church is listed Grade I and is within the Grade II* Wanstead Park, Registered Park and Garden.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q27087047

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

• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)