Summary
First World War memorial, 1919.
Description
First World War memorial, 1919.
MATERIALS: granite.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in a prominent location within the churchyard of the Church of St Mary (Grade II*), immediately to the north of the main path between the churchyard gate and the church.
The memorial comprises a round, polished granite pillar, surmounted by an urn of the same material. The upper portion of the pillar is adorned with relief arches, each etched with a fleur-de-lis design, which is repeated around the top of the pillar and the urn. The whole stands upon a square granite plinth upon a square concrete base.
The east-facing section of the pillar bears the inscription IN MEMORY OF/ THE MEN FROM THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE SERVICE OF/ THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914–1918/ (7 NAMES).
On the base is the additional inscription STILL REMEMBERED 2001.
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 Market Weston in 1919 as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the seven members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The memorial was created by Mr R H Hall at a cost of £62 17s 6d and unveiled on Sunday 2 November 1919.
An additional inscription was added to the memorial in 2001.
Reasons for Listing
Market Weston War Memorial, which is situated in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary in Market Weston, 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 First World War.
Architectural interest:
* as an evocative and well-carved granite pillar surmounted by an urn.
Group value:
* with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Mary.
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.
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