Summary

First World War memorial obelisk, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

The memorial stands on a small area of ground in front of the village hall (the Grade II-listed Parish Room), with railings surrounding the enclosure and a hedge behind. It takes the form of an obelisk of pink polished granite. On the front of the obelisk there is a wreath and bow carved in relief. The obelisk stands on a pedimented cornice, with on the front-facing pediment a sculpture of a crossed sword and rifle carved in low relief.

Below the cornice is a tapering plinth on which the main dedication is recorded. This is incised in the granite and gilded. It reads ERECTED BY/ THE PARISHIONERS,/ IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES/ DURING THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918./ “THEY DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE.”

The plinth stands of two steps of granite. On the riser of the upper step are eight names of those who died in the First World War, arranged in alphabetical order, with the names of a further six men recorded on the riser of the step below, followed by the dates 1939 – 1945 and the name of one man. The whole memorial stands on a rectangular two-stepped base of red sandstone.

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, 31 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 Pulford as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 14 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. After the Second World War, the name of one serviceman who died in that conflict was added.

Reasons for Listing

Pulford War Memorial, which stands outside the Parish Room, 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:

* An elegant memorial obelisk, incorporating sculpted symbols of the war, in the Classical style.

Group value:

* With the Parish Room (Grade II).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66479161

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

• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)