Summary

First World War memorial, 1922.

Description

First World War memorial, 1922.

MATERIALS: Creetown granite cross with lead lettering.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial is located outside St Mary’s Church. It consists of a wheel-headed cross which is decorated by a wreath. The cross rises from a tapering square plinth on a single stepped base. The front of the plinth has lead lettering which reads IN MEMORY OF/ WALKLEY HEROES/ 1914 – 1919/ 1939 – 1945.

The memorial sits on a raised site at the corner of the church.

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, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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 Walkley as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community, who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. The memorial was unveiled on 8 January 1922 by Colonel Clifford and dedicated by the Bishop of Sheffield.

Reasons for Listing

Walkley War Memorial commemorating the First and Second World Wars, unveiled in 1922, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:
* a dignified Creetown granite wheel-headed cross with a relief-carved wreath on a high, tapering, square plinth providing a fitting tribute to the lives lost;

Historic interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the First World War and Second World War;

Group value:
* the war memorial benefits from group value due to its proximity to the listed Church of St Mary within whose boundary it stands.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66479310

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.

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