Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled in 1920, with later addition.
Description
First World War memorial, unveiled in 1920, with later addition.
DESCRIPTION: the war memorial is square in plan, constructed of grey granite, and takes the form of a plain cross on a tapered plinth and three-stepped base. The front (north-east) elevation of the plinth is inscribed: ‘TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THE / MEN OF WEASENHAM WHO FELL IN THE / GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918 / THEY DIED NOBLY GIVING THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR / KING AND COUNTRY / MAY THEIR NAMES NEVER BE FORGOTTEN/ (13 NAMES)’. The top step of the base is inscribed: ‘THE WORLD WAR / 1939 – 1945’ and the name of one member of the community who fell in the Second World War. The memorial stands in a prominent location at the corner of Massingham Road and School Road in Weasenham.
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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at the corner of Massingham Road and School Road in Weasenham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 13 members of the local communities of the parishes of All Saints and St Peters who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was unveiled by the Dowager Countess of Leicester in August 1920. The name of one member of the local community who lost his life in the Second World War was later added.
Reasons for Listing
Weasenham War Memorial, unveiled in 1920, 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 a modest but well-executed memorial.
Group value:
* with the nearby churches of All Saints and St Peter (both listed at Grade II*), between which the memorial stands.
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
Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
England's Post-War Listed Buildings
Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings