Weston Rhyn War Memorial, Weston Rhyn, Shropshire

Entry Name: Weston Rhyn War Memorial

Listing Date: 7 November 2016

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1439575

ID on this website: 101439575

Location: Weston Rhyn, Shropshire, SY10

County: Shropshire

Civil Parish: Weston Rhyn

Built-Up Area: Weston Rhyn

Traditional County: Shropshire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Shropshire

Church of England Parish: Weston Rhyn St John

Church of England Diocese: Lichfield

Tagged with: War memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled February 1921, with further names added after the Second World War.

Description

First World War memorial, unveiled in 1921.

MATERIALS: Darley Dale Stone.

DESCRIPTION: Weston Rhyn War Memorial is situated outside of the Weston Rhyn village hall. It comprises a c 2m high Celtic-style wheel-head cross on a rectangular tapering shaft which is set upon an octagonal plinth.

The plinth carries bronze plaques which are inscribed with the 51 names of those who lost their lives during the First World War. One of the plaques is inscribed with men who belonged to the Royal Welch Fusiliers Regiment, whilst another honours those who belonged to the King’s Own Shropshire Light Infantry.

The front-facing plaque includes the inscription: IN HONOURED MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR/ LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ AND WHOSE NAMES ARE/ HERE RECORDED./ YE THAT LIVE ON MID ENGLISH PASTURES GREEN/ REMEMBER US AND THINK WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

Below this plaque is an additional plaque which was added to incorporate the names of those who died during the Second World War with the inscription: ALSO FOR THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR/ LIVES IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945. This includes a total of 16 names listed below.

The plinth is set upon a circular stone base which incorporates four stone seats as part of the base of the memorial. It is surrounded by a circular dark grey stone decorative paved area.

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, 23 November 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.

A committee, chaired by Mr W Frith, was established in order to organise the erection of a memorial to honour the war dead in 1919. They organised a public subscription in order to cover the cost of the works which amounted to £260. In February 1921 the Weston Rhyn War Memorial was unveiled and dedicated by Reverend D R Davies, who was a former chaplain to the armed forces. The memorial’s design was meant to create a place for the parishioners of Weston Rhyn to be able to go and sit and reflect whilst remembering the sacrifice that local men had made for their country.

As part of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Celebration’s in 2002 the memorial enclosure which the war memorial is situated in was renovated and the war memorial was cleaned.

Reasons for Listing

Weston Rhyn 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 wheel-head cross incorporating stone seats make this a striking and unusual memorial.

External Links

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.