Summary
A First World War memorial with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
War memorial, probably unveiled in the 1920s.
MATERIALS: granite.
DESCRIPTION: Westgate and Garlinge War Memorial is located just outside the Church of St James.
It consists of a rough-hewn granite stone of remembrance in two sections. The top section has a cross carved in relief on its front face. Below this is a smoothed panel with the dedication which reads TO OUR MEN OF THIS PLACE/ WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919. On the second section of stone is a smoothed panel which is incised with the names of the fallen.
The memorial stands on a single shallow stone step base within a paved area.
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 Westgate as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
It commemorates 20 local servicemen who died during the First World War. Following the Second World War, a dedication was added to commemorate the six fallen of that conflict.
Reasons for Listing
Westgate and Garlinge War Memorial, which is situated outside the Church of St James on Canterbury Road, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reason:
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.
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
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
[(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
Old House Care and Repair
Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]