Summary

War memorial and associated railings, unveiled in 1926, dedicated to the fallen of the First and Second World Wars.

Description

War memorial and associated railings, unveiled in 1926, designed by George Collin and Son, dedicated to the fallen of the First and Second World Wars.

The memorial is constructed of polished Aberdeen Glencoe granite, and comprises an obelisk over a square-plan plinth and two-stepped base. The base is inscribed with the name of the sculptor ‘G COLLIN, REGENT STREET, LEICESTER’.

The front (west) elevation of the memorial is inscribed: ‘TO THE / GLORY OF GOD / AND IN / GRATEFUL / MEMORY / OF THE MEN OF / GADDESBY / WHO LAID DOWN / THEIR LIVES IN / THE GREAT WAR / 1914-1918 / (7 NAMES) / GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS.’ The rear (east) elevation of the memorial is inscribed: ‘TO THE / GLORY OF GOD / AND IN / GRATEFUL / MEMORY / OF THE MEN OF / GADDESBY / WHO LAID DOWN / THEIR LIVES IN / THE WORLD WAR / 1939-1945 / (7 NAMES) / THEY GAVE THEIR TO-MORROWS / THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE YOUR TO-DAYS.’

The memorial is bounded by paving slabs and enclosed by arched cast-iron railings, with a central gate to the west. The memorial stands approximately 25m south-west of the Church of St Luke (listed at grade I), and is prominently located along the walking route from the village to the church.

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, 20 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 the country. 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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Gaddesby as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Gaddesby war memorial was erected in memory of 7 residents of the village who fell during the First World War (1914-18), and was unveiled in a ceremony in April 1926 by Major-General John Vaughan. The granite memorial was designed and executed by George Collin and Son of Regent Street, Leicester, and was erected at a cost of £101, the funds for which were raised by public subscriptions and fundraising events. The memorial stands within the churchyard of the Church of St Luke (listed at grade I), on land donated by Captain J O Sherrard of nearby Gaddesby Hall (listed at grade II). Following the Second World War (1939-45) a further 7 names of the fallen were added to the memorial. A grant was awarded by the War Memorials Trust in 2008 for the cleaning, re-pointing and re-painting of the memorial.

Reasons for Listing

Gaddesby war memorial and its associated railings are 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 sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Group value: for its relationship with the Church of St Luke (listed at Grade I) and Gaddesby Hall (listed at Grade II), with which it forms a group.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478389

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

• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record