Summary
First World War memorial, 1923, with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
First World War memorial, 1923, with later additions for the Second World War.
MATERIALS: Scottish silver granite.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is situated to the south side of the church along the path leading to the entrance of the St Helen’s church from the Main Street. It comprises a wheel-head cross with a tapering shaft adorned with Celtic knot work patterns on the front and it is set on a tapering plinth. This stands on a base of two rectangular steps, the first step being higher than the second one. The memorial is approximately 2.4m in height.
The eastern face of the shaft and the plinth bear the dedicatory inscription and names in leaded lettering. The main inscription, which is located at the bottom of the shaft, reads: TO THE/ HONOURED/ MEMORY OF/ THOSE FROM/ THIS PARISH/ WHO FELL IN/ THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918. The eastern side of the plinth bears eleven names of the men who fell during the First World War, arranged in alphabetical order by surname, followed by an inscription which says “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE”.
The southern side of the plinth bears four names of the men who fell during the Second World War.
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 Skipwith as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
In a Parish Church Council meeting held on 10 March 1923, it was decided to make arrangements for the unveiling ceremony of the war memorial, which was erected in honour of the men of the Skipwith and Duffield parish who fell in the Great War. The ceremony was convened on 17 March 1923 and the memorial cross was unveiled by Major General Davis. The dedication service was attended by Reverend William Wainman and Reverend J A Skeen. The cost of the memorial construction was met by donations from the people of the parish as evident from the data recorded in the cash book of the parish council.
Reasons for Listing
Skipwith War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Helen, 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 an elegant granite Celtic cross with carved decorative details.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Helen (Grade I).
External Links
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Recommended Books
Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)