Summary

First World War memorial.

Description

The memorial is located next to the path leading to the W entrance to the church.

The granite Celtic wheel-head cross, decorated with Celtic style knot-work, rises from a tapering plinth, which stands on a raised stone platform surrounded by railings. The front face of the plinth bears the inscription IN / GRATEFUL MEMORY OF / THE MEN OF THIS CHURCH / AND PARISH / WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 - 1918 / AND WHOSE NAMES ARE / RECORDED WITHIN THIS CHURCH / R.I.P.

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, 5 June 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 in Stepney outside the Church of St Dunstan and All Saints as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Reasons for Listing

Stepney 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 local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the First World War;
* Design: as a simple yet dignified wheel-head cross war memorial;
* Group value: with the Grade I-listed Church of St Dunstan and All Saints and the Grade II-listed iron railings and gates.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478599

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

• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)