Summary

First World War memorial, 1921.

Description

MATERIALS: limestone.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial consists of a wheel-head cross embellished with a Sword of Sacrifice carved in low relief. The cross is set upon a tapered rectangular plinth and base. It stands some 3.6m high.

There is a dedicatory duplicated inscription on the plinth, in lead lettering on the front and carved in relief on the rear, which reads: 1914 – 1919/ TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY OF/ (NAMES FOLLOWED BY VILLAGES)/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR THAT WE MIGHT LIVE/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE.

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 erected at Church Langton in 1921 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 five local servicemen who died during the First World War.

In 2013 the memorial was cleaned and conserved with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust.

Reasons for Listing

Church Langton War Memorial is listed 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 First World War;
* Architectural interest: a simple yet elegant limestone wheel-head cross.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66477878

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

• 
  For the Record
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)