Summary

First World War memorial unveiled on 15 May 1921.

Description

MATERIALS: rough-hewn Cornish granite.

DESCRIPTION: Northbourne War Memorial stands in the Garden of Rest at St Peter's Church. It consists of a wheel-head cross on a tapering shaft on a three-stepped square base.

The top tier of the base is inscribed: IN GRATEFUL/ MEMORY OF. This inscription continues onto the second tier which reads: THE MEN OF NORTHBOURNE/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914 – 1919. The other faces are inscribed with the names of the fallen.

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 the country, 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 Northbourne as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Northbourne War Memorial was unveiled and dedicated on 15 May 1921 by the vicar of East Hagbourne, Rev H A Smith-Masters, to the ten local servicemen who fell in the First World War. It was originally sited outside the former St Peter's Church on Church Street.

In 2001 a project was undertaken to secure the foundations with the help of grant funding from the War Memorials Trust. Following the work, the memorial was re-dedicated on 15 May 2001.

Reasons for Listing

Northbourne 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 this community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a simple yet dignified Cornish granite wheel-head cross.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478090

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

• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
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  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
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  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
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  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas