Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled 4 April 1920, with Second World War additions.
Description
First World War memorial, 1920, with Second World War additions.
DESCRIPTION: Coddenham war memorial is located on a raised area at the entrance to the churchyard to the north of the Church of St Mary (Grade I-listed); it faces the main road through the village and is also in close proximity to several Grade II-listed buildings.
The memorial is of granite and takes the form of a wheel-head cross pattée, upon a small, square pedestal. This crowns a tall, rectangular two-stepped plinth surmounting a two-stepped base. The cross and pedestal are decorated with Celtic-influenced geometric designs in relief, while the plinth and base are roughly hewn.
The inscriptions and names are recorded on the southern face of the plinth within smooth inset panels. The main inscription is to the uppermost panel and reads, TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND SACRED FOR ALL TIME/ TO THE MEMORY OF THE/ CODDENHAM MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ FOR THE WORLD'S FREEDOM/ A.D. 1914 – 1919/ GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN/ THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN/ HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS. The 22 names of the fallen are recorded on a panel directly below the inscription.
The Second World War dedication is to the panel at the base of the plinth and reads, ALSO THOSE WHO FELL/ 1939–45/ (5 NAMES)/ MISSING/ (1 NAME).
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 Coddenham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 22 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was manufactured by the Army and Navy Auxiliary Cooperative Society Ltd at a cost of £137 19s 6d and unveiled on 4 April 1920 by Captain The Honourable J St V Saumarez.
The names of the six parishioners who fell or went missing during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Coddenham War Memorial, which is situated in St Mary’s Churchyard, 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 well-executed wheel-head cross pattée memorial
Group value:
* with the Grade I-listed Church of St Mary and the surrounding Grade II-listed buildings.
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
Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)