Summary

First World War memorial.

Description

The limestone memorial stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Catherine (Grade II*-listed), overlooking Main Road and facing Littleton Manor (Grade II*-listed). It comprises a stone Latin cross with a plain shaft and a three-stepped foot, rectangular on plan, that is raised on a narrow plinth c2m wide and c0.3m deep. The plinth is flanked by a short, narrow, block to either side, and the whole stands on an inscribed base. The base stands on a concrete platform.

The main inscription, incised and painted black on the front face of the plinth, reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY/ OF THOSE FROM THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR THEIR KING AND COUNTRY/ DURING THE GREAT WAR. The dates 1914 and 1919 are carved in relief to the front face of each flanking block. The inscription on the front of the base, also in relief, reads: I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE, and continues on the rear: THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE. The four commemorated names recorded on the rear of the plinth are incised and painted black.

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, 24 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. 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 at Littleton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by four members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Reasons for Listing

Littleton War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of St Catherine’s Church, 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.

Architectural interest:

* An unusual form of war memorial making good use of a restricted space to present the dedications to, and names of, the village’s fallen;
* Degree of survival: unusually the memorial has not been adapted for Second World War commemoration, and thus retains its original design intent.

Group value

* With the Church of St Catherine and Littleton Manor (both Grade II*-listed).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q55838945

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

• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover