Summary

First World War memorial unveiled on 21 August 1921, with further names added after the Second World War.

Description

MATERIALS: granite

DESCRIPTION: this war memorial is located within the churchyard of St Mary Magdalene Church (Grade I) facing towards the road. It consists of an obelisk set upon a square plinth. The whole is set upon a three-stepped octagonal base.

The stone of the memorial is rough finished and the plinth bears a plain arched cartouche of polished stone on each of its faces. These panels bear the incised inscriptions and names of the fallen. The front face of the plinth is enriched with a raised carving of a wreath with a cross at its centre. Below this is the inscription: IN / THANKFUL REMEMBRANCE / OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN / THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1919.

On another face of the plinth, following the list of names from the First World War, is inscribed 1939 – 1945 followed by the names of the fallen from the Second World War.

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.

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 Rusper as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It commemorates the 23 local servicemen who died in the First World War.

It was dedicated on 21 August 1921. Following the Second World War the memorial was re-dedicated following the addition of eight names of the fallen from that conflict.

In 2013 the memorial was cleaned and conserved with a grant from War Memorials Trust.

Reasons for Listing

Rusper War Memorial, dedicated on 21 August 1921, 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;
* Architectural interest: a simple yet dignified granite obelisk with carved decorative details;
* Group value: with the church of St Mary Magdalene (Grade I) and the Plough Inn opposite (Grade II).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26678157

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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  Old House Care and Repair
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  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
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  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)