Summary
First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
The memorial stands in a prominent roadside position, on a triangle of land to the north side of the Beccles Road (A146). It comprises a tall Maltese cross on a rough-hewn, tapering plinth, square on plan, with a two-stepped base. Carved from granite, it stands approximately 3.3m tall within a square enclosure formed by four substantial iron corner posts joined by plain railings.
The main incised inscription begins on the cross shaft, reading TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND, and continues below on the plinth IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF/ MEN OF BARNBY/ WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914–1919./ (10 NAMES). A further incised inscription on a square polished granite tablet at the foot of the memorial reads 1939–1945/ (2 NAMES).
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, 27 February 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 Barnby as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by ten members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The names of those parishioners who died during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Barnby War Memorial, which stands beside the A146, 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:
* a tall war memorial cross in granite, in the manner of a roadside 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
Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
[(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)