Description

GRAFFHAM

1899/0/10049 THE STREET
19-SEP-07 War Memorial

II
War memorial of granite erected by Sir James Buchanan Bart of Lavington Park and the inhabitants of Graffham and East Lavington in the aftermath of the First World War.

DESCRIPTION
The war memorial consists of a two-step square calvary (symbolically steps leading to the cross) on which is a square plinth with mouldings above and below. Above this is a our sided granite stone column surmounted by an orb.

On the front, north side, of the plinth is a dedication to the erection of the memorial and to the men of the parish who fell and served in the First World War which reads:
ERECTED BY/SIR JAMES BUCHANAN BART/OF LAVINGTON PARK/AND THE INHABITANTS OF/GRAFFHAM & EAST LAVINGTON/IN PROUD & LOVING MEMORY OF/THE 25 MEN OF THESE PARISHES/WHOSE NAMES ARE ENGRAVEN/HEREON WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN /THE GREAT WAR OF 1914-1918 FOR/RIGHT FREEDOM AND HONOUR/AND/IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF/THOSE 117 MEN WHO ALSO SERVED/& WHOSE NAMES ARE RECORDED/IN THE PARISH CHURCH ROLL/OF HONOUR/"THEIR NAMES SHALL LIVE FOREVER".

On the other three sides are the names of the men who fell between 1914 and 1918, and on the base moulding below the plinth are the names of those who fell between 1939 and 1945.

On the east side of the plinth are the names of four men who fell in 1914, including two from the Ede family, and four names for 1915. Below, on the base moulding, are three from the Wallace family dated 1939-1945. On the south side of the plinth are the names of six men who fell in 1916 and below them two who fell in 1917; below on the base moulding are three from 1939-1945. Finally, on the west side of the plinth are nine names for 1918, including two from the Cooper family (another Cooper is listed on the south side for 1916), and on the base moulding three from 1939-1945.

HISTORY
The memorial was erected by Sir James Buchanan Bart of Lavington Park and the inhabitants of Graffham and East Lavington in memory of 25 men of those parishes who gave their lives in the Great War of 1914-1918. It was also erected in recognition of those 117 men who also served and whose names were recorded in the parish church roll of honour. Following the Second World War, 1939-1945, the names of those who fell in that conflict were added on the base moulding below the plinth.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION
The War Memorial at Graffham is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* An eloquent witness to the impact of the First and Second World Wars on this community.
* A simple yet elegant granite memorial, situated in a distinctive position by the main highway in the village.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 5 December 2016.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26671483

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

• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)