Summary

First World War memorial, pre-1927, by Trenwith Wills with sculptural work by Herbert Tyson Smith.

Description

First World War memorial, pre-1927, by Trenwith Wills with sculptural work by Herbert Tyson Smith. Cenotaph surmounted by an angel

MATERIALS: mellow red brick with sandstone dressings and slate plaques.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial consists of a tall, tapering cenotaph set upon a hexagonal brick and sandstone platform incorporating four shallow stair flights to the north, south, east and west sides. The cenotaph has a brick and ashlar base with a tapering shaft above in rusticated brickwork and is surmounted by a carved sandstone figure of a kneeling angel placing a wreath with its head bowed and wings folded. At the bottom of the shaft on each face is a slate panel framed in ashlar with a raised head and incised inscriptions picked out in red. The front east face is further embellished with a large carved relief of the Royal crest on a shield flanked by draped flags, sword hilts and Brodie helmets, with a large unadorned cross set above and behind. The inscription to the front east face reads ‘THEIR NAME/ LIVETH FOR/ EVERMORE’ with the dates ‘1914-1919’ carved on the base below. The plaques to the north and south faces are inscribed with the names of those lost, and the plaque to the rear west face is inscribed with the names of those lost, with the dates ‘1939-1945’ carved below.

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.

Hightown War Memorial was erected pre-1927 to the designs of Trenwith Wills, with sculptural adornments by Herbert Tyson Smith.

The names of those lost during the Second World War were later included on the memorial's rear face.

Reasons for Listing

Hightown War Memorial 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:

* as an elegantly designed memorial featuring work by the renowned sculptor Herbert Tyson Smith.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66479352

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

• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)