Summary
A First World War memorial dating from around 1920, altered following the Second World War.
Description
A First World War memorial dating from around 1920, altered following the Second World War.
MATERIALS AND PLAN: the memorial is built of stone. It stands in the churchyard of St Mary's Church, adjacent to the lychgate and a medieval cross.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises a Latin cross on a substantial tapering column with an elaborately carved capital, an octagonal plinth and a three-stepped octagonal base. On the face of the cross is a relief-carved Sword of Sacrifice.
The main inscription on the plinth reads:
(west face) TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN EVER/ GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THE MEN/ OF THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR THE HONOUR/ AND LIBERTY/ OF THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1919/ R.I.P./
(north-west face) (6 NAMES)/ 1939-1945/ (1 NAME)
(south-west face) (6 NAMES)/ 1939-1945/ (1 NAME)
(upper step of base, on north-west, north and south-west faces) THEIR NAME/ LIVETH/ FOR EVERMORE
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 Wick as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 12 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The names of two parishioners who fell during the Second World War were added to the memorial following that conflict.
Reasons for Listing
Wick War Memorial 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:
* the memorial is a dignified and sombre stone cross, neatly made and well-proportioned.
Group value:
* it has strong group value with other listed buildings nearby, including St Mary's Church, the lychgate and the medieval cross.
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
[(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
England's Post-War Listed Buildings
London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)