Summary

First World War memorial obelisk, unveiled 1924.

Description

The approximately 2.5m tall war memorial stands in the lawn outside the Grade II-listed Wall and Gates to the Grade I-listed Church of St Mary Magdalene, in front of the Grade II-listed School House and Brook Farmhouse. It takes the form of an obelisk, square on plan, in rough-hewn grey granite. The obelisk stands on a chamfered pedestal and base.

A panel cut back into the front face of the pedestal bears the inscription in applied metal lettering, reading 1914 + 1919/ IN HONOURED MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN/ THE GREAT WAR/ (3 NAMES). The names are recorded with rank and service, regiment, or corps.

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 Willen as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by three members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. A meeting of the Newport Pagnell Rural District Council on 31 October 1923 confirmed that there was no objection to the proposed location, and the memorial was duly unveiled and dedicated by the Suffragan Bishop of Buckingham on 5 April 1924.

Reasons for Listing

Willen War Memorial Obelisk, which stands outside the parish 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 the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the First World War.

Architectural interest:

* a simple yet poignant granite memorial obelisk;
* unusually, the memorial has not been adapted for Second World War commemoration, and thus retains its original design intent.

Group value:
* with the Church of St Mary Magdalene (Grade I) and the Grade II-listed School House, Brook Farmhouse, and the wall surrounding the church yard with gates at east and west ends.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66479845

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

• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)