Summary
First World War memorial pillar, with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
The sandstone memorial stands at the rear of a memorial garden on the east side of Holymoor Road. It comprises a tapering orthostat of undressed stone, with rectangular panels cut into three sides to carry the inscriptions. The panels are carved to look like tablets fixed to the stone, with pin-heads included in low relief at the scalloped corners.
The principal dedicatory inscription to the front-facing panel reads IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO FELL IN THE TWO/ WORLD WARS./ 1914 – 1918 : 1939 – 1945. The inscription on the panel on the right face of the memorial reads 1914 – 1918/ (10 NAMES), whilst that on the left reads 1939 – 1945/ (6 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.
Commonly, war memorials were erected in the early 1920s and augmented with additional dedications after the Second World War. The memorial at Holymoorside, however, was erected by public subscription in 1947. It is a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 10 members of the local community who died in the First World War, and six who died in the Second World War.
Reasons for Listing
Holymoorside and Walton War Memorial, which stands in the memorial garden, 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;
* unusually, the memorial was designed and erected to commemorate the dead of both World Wars, rather than being a Great War memorial adapted for later commemoration.
Architectural interest:
* a simple yet poignant memorial pillar.
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
Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)