Summary

War memorial in the form a gabled cross on a multi-tiered plinth.

Description

Tall octagonal stone shaft surmounted by a decorated gable, with sculpture of Christ. This rests on a plinth, each face of which bears a decorated shield hanging from a flower, representing the Instruments of the Passion. They are - front: the Crown of Thorns, with crossing Holy Sponge and Holy Lance; right: the hammer and tongs used to nail Christ to cross, with dice representing the casting of lots for Jesus's robes; back: the Cross; and left: the pillar and whips, representing the Flagellation of Christ. This rests on a two-step plinth, the front faces of which bears inscriptions - top: "1914 1919 and 1939 1945", and bottom: "Our Glorious Dead". This rests on a platform which overhangs a two-step base, the bottom splaying onto an area of paving. The front face of the base bears the inscription: "Whose names are inscribed within the church / on the [??] south aisle. 1914 - 1919".

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, 6 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, 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 in Barnes at St Mary's Church as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the local community. It was unveiled on 19 June 1921 in a ceremony attended by FM Sir John French (later Earl of Ypres). An additional inscription was added after the Second World War.

Reasons for Listing

Barnes 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 the local community, and the sacrifices they made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: as an attractive and imposing gabled cross war memorial;
* Group value: with the Grade II*-listed St Mary's Church.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478722

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

• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)