Summary
A First World War memorial dating from 1921, altered following the Second World War.
Description
A First World War memorial dating from 1921, altered following the Second World War.
MATERIALS: the memorial is constructed of granite.
DESCRIPTION: Newmarket War Memorial stands within the memorial gardens on Bury Road, Newmarker. It consists of a tall square granite column surmounted by a carved urn with an eternal flame pinnacle and swags. On two faces of the column are carved wreaths and swords. The column rises from a square plinth with scroll shaped brackets at each corner. This sits on a three-stepped base which has open books on each face.
The main dedicatory inscription is located on the front face on the column and reads TO/ THE GLORIOUS/ MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF/ NEWMARKET/ WHO FELL IN/ THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 - 1919/ &/ 1939 - 1945. The faces of the plinth and the four books bear the names of the fallen.
History
Newmarket War Memorial was unveiled on 16 October 1921 by Major-General Sir William Lambton and dedicated by the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. The memorial was erected at a cost of £2,000.
It commemorates 218 local servicemen who died during the First World War. Following the Second World War, four open books, carved in granite, were added with the names of the 82 local servicemen and 13 civilians who had died in that conflict.
In 2011, the war memorial was cleaned and the lettering repaired.
Reasons for Listing
Newmarket 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:
* a striking yet dignified monument; it is neatly made and well proportioned.
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
Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey