Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1921, with Second World War additions. It was sculpted by Messrs RJ Allen and Son of Southwold.
Description
First World War memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1921, with Second World War additions. It was sculpted by Messrs RJ Allen and Son of Southwold.
MATERIALS: of rock-faced granite.
PLAN: it is square-on-plan.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in the north-east corner of Bartholomew Green, adjacent to the churchyard gates (listed Grade II) to the Church of St Edmund (listed Grade I). It comprises a four-stepped base on which stands a trapezoidal plinth with leaded inscriptions on polished faces to all four sides. Rising from the plinth is a tall shaft which tapers in rectangular section to a Celtic wheel-head cross. On the east face is a relief carving of the Sword of Sacrifice.
The First World War dedication is inscribed on the plinth’s east face and reads ‘1914 – 1918 / TO THE IMMORTAL MEMORY OF OUR / FELLOW TOWNS MEN WHO FELL IN THE / GREAT WAR / [Names]’. Further names of the men who died during the First World War are inscribed on the west face. The north face is inscribed ‘1939 – 1945’ with the names of the service men who died inscribed below while the inscription on the south face reads ‘CIVILIANS KILLED BY / ENEMY ACTION / 1939 – 1945 / [Names].
The memorial stands within an octagonal lawned area which is defined by granite kerb stones and a chain link fence with cast iron bollards.
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, 15 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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised on Bartholomew Green in Southwold as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 52 members of the local community who lost their lives during the conflict. It was unveiled by Mr RFB Coling, and dedicated by the Venerable Archdeacon JGR Darling, on 3 July 1921. The cost of the memorial, by Messrs RJ Allen and Son of Southwold, came to £243 5s 3d and was raised by public subscription. Following the Second World War a dedication was added to commemorate the 20 servicemen and 13 civilians who died in that conflict.
Reasons for Listing
Southwold War Memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1921, with Second World War additions, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* As an accomplished and well-realised war memorial which takes the form of a Celtic wheel-head cross atop a trapezoidal plinth.
Historic interest:
* As an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
Group value:
* With the neighbouring Grade I-listed Church of St Edmund, the Grade II-listed churchyard gates, several Grade II-listed churchyard monuments and the nine Grade II-listed houses on the east and west sides of Bartholomew Green.
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
Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)