Summary

First and Second World War memorial. Erected 1919 with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.

Description

First and Second World War memorial. Erected 1919 with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.

MATERIALS: Portland stone ashlar.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial stands in the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, near the centre of Chickerell, and faces south. It is to the south of the Grade I listed medieval church. The memorial comprises a St Chad’s cross set on a moulded tapering shaft c1.5m high. The shaft stands on a moulded and corniced square plinth, with a shield set into a recessed panel on each side, which in turn rests on a three-tier stepped square base, together 1.2m high. On the front of the plinth is the inscription: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AS A THANK-OFFERING FOR/ PEACE AFTER THE GREAT WAR/ AND IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF/ THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ A SACRIFICE TO FREEDOM AND/ JUSTICE THE PARISHIONERS OF/ CHICKERELL ERECTED THIS/ MONUMENT NOV 2 1919, beneath, which are the words: GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS/ THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR/ HIS FRIENDS. ST JOHN XV. The other sides of the plinth are inscribed with 24 names, including regiment or service branch. On the middle step of the base is the inscription: ALSO IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SECOND GREAT WAR 1939-1945/ THE FOLLOWING NAMES ARE INSCRIBED, with 18 names on the lower step beneath it. The memorial is set on a concrete foundation.

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, 7 December 2016.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw a huge wave of public commemoration with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country. One such memorial was erected in the churchyard of St Mary's Church on 2nd November 1919 to commemorate 24 residents of Chickerell who died during the conflict. A further inscription was added to the memorial following the Second World War, to commemorate 18 residents who lost their lives.

Reasons for Listing

Chickerell war memorial, which stands in the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, is designated 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;
* Design: an elaborate and well-crafted St Chad’s Cross carved in Portland stone and set upon a moulded plinth bearing recessed shields, surmounting a stepped base;
* Group value: with the Grade I listed church of St Mary.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26677441

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

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  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]