Summary

First World War memorial, designed by Henry Charles Mitchell, unveiled on 22 May 1920.

Description

MATERIALS: Aberdeen granite.

DESCRIPTION: Baddesley Ensor war memorial comprises an obelisk some 3.5m tall embellished with a laurel wreath in relief surmounting a rough-hewn plinth.

The plinth bears inscriptions in black lettering on polished plaques which reads: 1914 -1919/ TO/ THE MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF/ BADDESLEY ENSOR/ WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR./ THEY DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE./ (NAMES)/ 1939-1945/ (NAMES)

The plinth stands on two-stepped rough-hewn stone base.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 5 October 2017.

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

The war memorial was designed by Henry Charles Mitchell of Tamworth and it commemorates 21 local men. It was unveiled by W F S Dugdale of Merevale Hall with the dedication ceremony conducted by the Rev H Wilson Lee on 22 May 1920.

Following the Second World War, five of those who lost their lives in that war were also added.

The obelisk previously stood on a plinth on Baddesley Common but was relocated to the churchyard.

Reasons for Listing

Baddesley Ensor War Memorial, unveiled 22 May 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;
* Architectural interest: a simple yet dignified granite obelisk;
* Group value: with the Church of St Nicholas (Grade II).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66477862

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

• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)