Summary
First World War memorial, designed by G Maile and Son, it was dedicated in December 1919. The names of the fallen of the Second World War were subsequently added.
Description
First World War memorial, designed by G Maile and Son, and dedicated in December 1919. The names of the fallen of the Second World War were subsequently added.
MATERIALS: rough hewn Cornish granite with lead lettering.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located on a grass bank facing Church Street at the southern corner of the churchyard of the Church of St Mary. With a total height of 2.7m, it consists of a wheel cross with a crusader's sword in relief on the front face. The tapering shaft is mounted on a square plinth with a tapered base. The front face of the plinth bears the inscription ‘FOR/ KING AND COUNTRY. / IN GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF THIS/ PARISH WHO GAVE/ THEIR LIVES IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914-1918’. The names and ranks of the 15 fallen are inscribed on the sides of the plinth. The tapered front edge of the base bears the inscription ‘AND IN THE/ SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939-1945 followed by a single name.
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.
The Upton Grey War Memorial was dedicated in December 1919. It was designed and erected by G Maile and Son at a cost of £140. Additional names were added after the Second World War. The memorial was restored and surrounding paving added in 2014-15.
G Maile and Son were masons, sculptors and church furnishers (especially known for stained glass), based in Euston Road, London. They were responsible for numerous war memorials across the country
Reasons for Listing
Upton Grey War Memorial, Upton Grey, Hampshire 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-executed example of one of the common forms of First World War memorial by a well-regarded firm of memorial masons.
Group value:
* with the Grade I-listed Church of St Mary.
Recommended Books
Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)