Summary
A First World War memorial, erected in about 1920; altered by the addition of two further names after the Second World War.
Description
A First World War memorial, erected in about 1920; altered by the addition of two further names after the Second World War.
MATERIALS
Stone.
DESCRIPTION
The memorial takes the form of a Celtic cross rising from a moulded, square foot carved with ‘I H S’, on a tapering shaft with moulded foot, on an octagonal plinth and a two-stepped octagonal platform. The plinth is inscribed on five sides: THIS CROSS IS ERECTED/ IN PROUD MEMORY OF/ THE 18 MEN/ OF THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR KING AND COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 - 1918 (18 NAMES) / ALSO/ IN MEMORY OF/ THOSE/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN WORLD WAR II/ 1939 - 1945/ (2 NAMES) / THEY DIED AS FEW MEN GET/ THE CHANCE TO DIE/ FIGHTING TO SAVE A WORLD'S/ MORALITY/ THEY DIED THE NOBLEST DEATH/ A MAN MAY DIE/ FIGHTING FOR GOD AND RIGHT/ AND LIBERTY -/ AND SUCH A DEATH IS/ IMMORTALITY./ JOHN OXENHAM/ PEACE TO THE UNCONQUERED/ MAY LIGHT PERPETUAL SHINE/ UPON THEM.
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 750,000 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 Lindridge as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 18members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Lindridge War Memorial dates from about 1920. It commemorates 18 local men who died in the First World War. Following the Second World War, the names of two fallen from that conflict were added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Lindridge War Memorial outside the Church of St Lawrence in Lindridge 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 church’s community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* for its design, a well-executed stone cross with carved detailing and good inscriptions.
Group value:
* with the Grade-II listed Church of St Lawrence, outside which it stands.
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
The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)