Summary
War memorial. Erected, following the First World War, in 1921 by the builders Messrs G Maile and son. A further inscription was added after the Second World War.
Description
War memorial. Erected, following the First World War, in 1921 by the builders Messrs G Maile and son. A further inscription was added after the Second World War.
MATERIALS: carved from Portland stone.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is situated near to the centre of Eye, immediately north of the Town Hall. It stands approximately 5.5m high and comprises a Celtic cross enriched with interlaced carving set on a tapering shaft, plinth and three-stepped square base. The base of the shaft is carved with a laurel wreath. The front (north) face of the plinth is inscribed in incised lettering: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF/ (21 NAMES)/ WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919/ AND ALSO FROM/ 1939 – 1945. The east face is inscribed with 12 names of the fallen and the west face with 13 names. On the south face is the coat of arms of the town. The names of 14 parishioners who died during the Second World War are carved on three sides of the upper tier of the base.
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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Eye as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was erected by the builders Messrs G Maile and son. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Courtenay Warner MP, the Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, during a memorial service on Sunday 24 July 1921 and dedicated by the Reverend L Holt Wilson. After the Second World War, the names of those parishioners who fell during that conflict were also added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Eye War Memorial, built in 1921 adjacent to Eye Town Hall, 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 conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* as a well-crafted memorial, including a Celtic cross enriched with interlaced carving set on a tapering shaft carved with a laurel wreath.
Group value:
* with the adjacent Grade II*-listed Eye Town Hall.
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
Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
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Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide