Summary

First World War memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions.

Description

First World War memorial, 1921.

MATERIALS: Balmoral granite.

DESCRIPTION: Silloth War Memorial is located in the churchyard of Christ Church, Criffel Street, Silloth, Cumbria. It is prominently situated by the churchyard’s low wall and faces out to sea. It comprises a Balmoral granite small cross pattee atop a tapering hexagonal shaft with elaborate moulded foot, surmounting a tall, hexagonal plinth and two-tiered moulded base. It features a relief carving of a crown to the front face, next to the word “Liberty.”

The memorial is surrounded closely by very low rails, and further out by low iron posts and chains.

The plinth bears the inscriptions in incised and blacked lettering which reads: LIBERTY// TRUTH// RIGHT// TO THE/ GLORIOUS DEAD/ IN HONOUR AND/ LOVING APPRECIATION/ OF THE MEN OF THIS/ PARISH WHO FELL/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ AND/ 1939 – 1945/ "LIVE THOU FOR ENGLAND/ WE FOR ENGLAND DIED."/ "THEY WERE A WALL/ UNTO US, BOTH BY/ NIGHT AND BY DAY."/ 1ST SAML XXV.16// (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 Silloth as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Silloth War Memorial was situated within the churchyard of Christ Church. The memorial commemorates 51 (originally 49) local servicemen who fell in the First World War and 16 men who fell in the Second World War. It was made by J Rogerson of Carlisle and cost around £395.

A faculty for the memorial’s erection was granted 8 February 1921 and it was unveiled on 1 May 1921 by Mr W Theodore Carr MP.

Reasons for Listing

Silloth War Memorial, which is situated in the churchyard of Christ Church, 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:

* an elegant and well-proportioned Balmoral granite cross.

Group value:

* with the Grade II*-listed Christ Church and the Grade II-listed Marine Terrace.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66479781

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

• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014