Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled 16 November 1919, with Second World War addition.
Description
First World War memorial, 1919, with Second World War addition.
DESCRIPTION: Twycross War Memorial is located at the north-west corner of the village green at the junction of Main Road with Sheepy Road; to the south-west is the Grade II-listed Twycross House School.
The memorial is of Cornish grey granite and takes the form of a tall, wheel-head cross with an inverted Sword of Sacrifice carved in relief to the north-west face; the sword has a trefoil symbol to the pommel and at the ends of its cross-guard. The cross shaft rises from a four-sided, tapering plinth, which carries the dedications and names in leaded lettering to the north-west face within a smooth, inset panel. The whole stands on a small paved foundation.
The dedication reads ERECTED BY GRATEFUL PARISHIONERS AND/ FRIENDS TO COMMEMORATE THE NAMES OF ITS/ FAITHFUL SONS WHO FOUGHT AND GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR THEIR KING AND COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT EUROPEAN WAR 1914 – 1918/ (5 NAMES)/ R.I.P/ DEDICATED BY THE REV. E. DEACON VICAR/ AND UNVEILED BY LADY WARING ON SUNDAY NOV. 16TH 1919/ 1939 - 1945 - (1 NAME).
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 Twycross as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the five members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was unveiled on 16 November 1919 by Lady Waring and dedicated by the local vicar, the Reverend E Deacon. The monument originally cost £138. A historic photograph indicates that the initials A M D G, which stands for Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (‘For the Greater Glory of God’), were originally positioned above the dedication but these have since been removed or lost.
Following the Second World War, the name of the single casualty from that conflict was added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Twycross War Memorial, which is situated on the village green at the junction of Main Road with Sheepy Road, 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 Twycross House School.
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
Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
For the Record