Summary

First World War memorial unveiled 4 December 1920, with further names added after the Second World War.

Description

MATERIALS: limestone cross.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located on the village green in Letchmore Heath. It commemorates the 55 local servicemen who died in the First and Second World Wars.

The memorial consists of a Celtic cross with decorative relief knot work carvings on the cross shaft and head. The shaft of the cross also has an incised commemorative inscription which reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF THE MEN/ OF ALDENHAM/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1918. The cross rises from a square tapered plinth on a three-stepped base. Surrounding the base is a small area of paving.

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 Letchmore Heath as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community, who lost their lives in the First World War.

Letchmore Heath War Memorial was unveiled 4 December 1920 by Viscount Hampden. The memorial was built by The Bromsgrove Guild on land which was owned by a Mr G Miller who was paid £15 for this. The funds to build the memorial were raised by public subscription and the names of the fallen from the Second World War were added at a later date.

In 2014 a project to repair and conserve the memorial was undertaken.

Reasons for Listing

Letchmore Heath War Memorial, unveiled 4 December 1920, 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 community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: an elegant well carved Celtic-style cross with decorative details;
* Group value: with the Three Horseshoes Public House and The Old Rest, both listed at Grade II.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26678027

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

• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings