Summary

First World War memorial, 1927, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

The memorial stands in an enclosure to the SW of the junction of Margaret Street and East View. In granite, it takes the form of a Latin cross with a moulded foot that rises from a pedestal, square on plan. The pedestal stands on a two-stepped base.

The principal dedicatory inscription on the front face of the pedestal reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN HONOUR OF THE BRAVE MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918./ (20 NAMES). Below, on the riser of the top step, the later dedication reads 1939 – 1935/ (5 NAMES).

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 February 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. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also 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 Ludworth as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 20 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Ludworth was the pit village for a colliery that had been opened in 1837. The memorial was built on land given by the Weardale Coal Company. It was unveiled on 26 February 1927 by Colonel JR Ritson. The service was conducted by Reverend AC Hague. Following the Second World War the names of five men who died in that conflict were added. These were unveiled on 30 September 1949 by Major General CF Loewens and dedicated by Canon RH Tillard. The memorial was refurbished in 2005.

Reasons for Listing

Ludworth War Memorial, which stands beside the junction of Margaret Street and East View, 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 conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a simple yet dignified memorial cross.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478027

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

• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments