Summary
First World War memorial, 1922, with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
First World War memorial, 1922, with later additions for the Second World War.
MATERIALS: granite with lead lettering.
DESCRIPTION: Little Waltham War Memorial is located on The Street, Little Waltham. The memorial plot, which is bordered by soft landscaping to the sides and rear, is located at the edge of a wider green running alongside the River Chelmer.
The memorial comprises a wheel-head cross made of granite on a tapering shaft which rises from a plinth. The plinth is set upon a square base.
The front face of the plinth has a recessed panel which contains the dedication LITTLE WALTHAM./ TO THE HONOURED MEMORY OF THESE MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1919 and lists the names of the fallen from that conflict. The left face of the plinth has a recessed panel with the dedication ALSO/ IN MEMORY OF THE MEN/ AND WOMEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE/ WAR OF 1939 – 1945 and lists the names of those who died during that conflict.
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 unveiled at Little Waltham on 21 May 1922 by Brigadier-General J T Wigan and dedicated by the Rev Canon O W Tancock as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community, who lost their lives in the First World War.
A committee was formed in 1919 to raise funds to build the memorial and the land for the memorial was given by Mr W Campen. It commemorates 22 local servicemen who died in the First World War. Following the Second World War, seven names were added for the fallen of that conflict, including two women who were killed in a bombing raid on a local munitions factory.
In 2017 the memorial was conserved with the help of grant aid administered by War Memorials Trust.
Reasons for Listing
Little Waltham War Memorial, which is located on The Street in Little Waltham, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* as a simple but elegant granite wheel-head cross.
Group value:
* with 36-40 The Street and 42 The Street (both Grade II).
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
Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)