Summary
First World War memorial cross, with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
MATERIALS: stone and concrete.
DESCRIPTION: Chapel Hill War Memorial is located within the churchyard of the former Holy Trinity Church; now a private residence (unlisted), and stands facing the North Forty Foot Bank Road which runs to the east of the memorial. It takes the form of a stone Latin Cross.
The memorial stands on a square of concrete, with a square base and a three-stage plinth. The tapering cross shaft is four-sided with chamfered corners.
INSCRIPTION: a prayer is inscribed in incised lettering around the top stage of the plinth, reading (east face): ‘LORD ALL PITYING’, (north face) ‘JESU BLEST’, (west face) ’GRANT THEM THINE’, (south face) ’ETERNAL REST/ AMEN’.
There are further inscriptions on the middle stage of the plinth. On the east face the inscription reads: 1914-1918/ IN LOYAL AND THANKFUL/ MEMORY OF THE MEN FROM THIS/ PARISH WHOSE LIVES WERE GIVEN/ FOR THEIR KING AND COUNTRY. The later dedication, on the opposite face, reads: ALSO IN MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN/ THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939-1945. The names of those who died are recorded on the plinth faces.
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, 30 January 2018.
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 Chapel Hill as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by eight members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. After the Second World War an additional inscription was added with six further names, of whom five were civilians: members of the Richardson family, killed by a direct hit on their house by a lone German aircraft raiding on 9 March 1941.
Reasons for Listing
Chapel Hill War Memorial, which stands adjacent to Trinity Lodge, 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 made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* A simple yet poignant stone memorial cross.
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.
Recommended Books
Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2