Summary
First World War memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions.
Description
First World War memorial, 1921.
MATERIALS: grey granite.
DESCRIPTION: Witherslack War Memorial is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Paul, Church Road, Witherslack, Cumbria. It is prominently situated by the church tower. It comprises a 3.6m tall wheel-head granite cross on a tapering, four-sided plinth with two-stepped square base with rough-hewn edges. The plinth bears the inscriptions in leaded lettering.
The inscription is in leaded lettering and reads IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF/ THE MEN FROM THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN/ THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ (NAMES)/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE/ ECCLUS XLIV 14// 1939 –1945/ (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 Witherslack as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Witherslack War Memorial was situated within the churchyard. The faculty was granted in May 1920 and the memorial was unveiled on 17 April 1921. The memorial commemorates nine local servicemen who fell in the First World War and nine men who fell in the Second World War.
Reasons for Listing
Witherslack War Memorial, which is situated in St Paul’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 this local community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* as a simple but well-executed granite cross.
Group value:
* with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Paul, Grade II-listed Sundial in the churchyard and the Grade II-listed Gatepiers and Overthrow to South of Church.
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
Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)