Gawsworth War Memorial, Gawsworth, Cheshire East

Summary

First World War memorial of 1920 with Second World War additions and some late-C20 repairs, by the noted artist Frederick Etchells.

Description

First World War memorial of 1920 with Second World War additions and some late-C20 alteration.

MATERIALS: timber Calvary on a stone plinth.

DESCRIPTION: set in the angle between two roads, just to the north of a medieval preaching cross (scheduled monument), the memorial takes the form of an octagonal timber cross with a carved figure of Jesus and ‘INRI’ plaque above. The crucifix is approximately 2m tall and surmounted by a duo-pitched plank roof with ridge copper flashing. The arms have undercut hollow chamfers at the ends. The stone plinth is battered and approximately 1m square and 1m tall. The north facing inscription reads:
THE SOULS/ OF THE RIGHTEOUS/ ARE IN THE HAND OF/ GOD/ AND THERE SHALL NO/ TORMENT TOUCH THEM

The upper west face has an inscription which reads:1914-1919/ R.I.P/ (NAMES, six, in alphabetical order). Below this an additional inscription reads: 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES, three, in alphabetical order, with ranks for two matching names).

This is repeated on the east face, which has five names of the First World War and three of the Second. The south facing inscription reads: GAWSWORTH/ PEOPLE. SET . UP/ THIS . CALVARY/ IN . THE . YEAR . OF/ GOD’S . INCARNATION/ 1920/ IN . MEMORY . OF . THEIR . LADS/ WHO . GAVE . THEIR . LIVES/ IN . THE . WAR . OF/ 1914 – 1919

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, as a result both of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities, and of 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 erected in Gawsworth. The memorial was designed by Frederick Etchells. It was unveiled in 1920 at a ceremony led by the Bishop of Chester. The dates, and the names of the Fallen, of the Second World War have been added beneath the original inscriptions. The memorial was refurbished in 1997, probably including renewal of the wooden supports and roof for the cross and the installation of the block for flowers, and possibly the stone paving. This might also have included some replacement lettering, as some letters in the inscription are larger than the others and of a different style.

Frederick Etchells (1886-1973) was an English artist and architect, brought up in nearby Macclesfield. After studying at the Royal College of Art he worked for the Omega Workshop, and was associated with the Vorticist movement, which was cut short by the war. From 1923 he concentrated on architecture, designing traditionalist houses for the Grosvenor Estate and Modernist buildings elsewhere, notably in 1930 remodelling 233 High Holborn for the advertising agency, Crawford’s, a pioneer work of the Modern movement in England (National Heritage List for England (‘List’) entry 1378888). He is perhaps best known for translating Le Corbusier’s ‘Vers Une Architecture’ into English.

Reasons for Listing

Gawsworth War Memorial, which stands on a green at the junction of Woodhouse Lane and Church Lane, 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:

* as an elegantly-proportioned memorial with a naturalistic depiction of the crucifixion by Frederick Etchells, a local artist and architect of international note.

Group value:

* with the scheduled preaching cross and unlisted pump, identifying a civic space and an appropriate and respectful area for remembrance.

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.