Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled on 11 April 1920, with Second World War addition.

Description

First World War memorial, 1920, with Second World War addition.

DESCRIPTION: Manton War Memorial is located in the churchyard of the Grade II*-listed Church of St Mary, situated to the north-west of the bell tower and visible from the street.

It is of rough-hewn Cornish granite and takes the form of a wheel-head cross with a tapering four-sided shaft; an inverted Sword of Sacrifice is carved in relief to the south-west face. The sword has a trefoil design to the pommel and ends of the cross-guard. The cross shaft rises from a tapering, four-sided plinth surmounting a single-stepped, square base.

At the foot of the cross shaft, to the south-west face, is a small recessed panel carrying the words TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND. The dedication continues on a recessed panel on the plinth and reads IN HONOURED MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1918/ (6 NAMES). The dedications are all in leaded lettering.

A small metal plate has been affixed directly below the sword bearing the Second World War dedication in incised lettering 1939 - 1945/ (2 NAMES).

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 Manton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the six members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was unveiled on 11 April 1920 by Major-General Lord Ranksborough with the dedication undertaken by Canon Whittingham, Archdeacon of Oakham.

Following the Second World War, a small metal plate was added to the memorial bearing the names of the two casualties from that conflict.

Reasons for Listing

Manton War Memorial, which is situated in St Mary’s churchyard, 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 well-executed wheel-head cross memorial with carved Sword of Sacrifice.

Group value:

* with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Mary.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66479539

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

• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)