Summary

First World War memorial, 1920 with a Second World War addition.

Description

First World War memorial, 1920, with a Second World War addition.

MATERIALS: red granite.

DESCRIPTION: Bowness on Solway war memorial is located in the churchyard of the Grade II*-listed Church of St Michael; it is prominently situated by the churchyard entrance and close to the main road it faces. It takes the form of a polished red granite Latin cross atop a simple foot surmounting a tall four-sided plinth with moulded and incised cap decoration, on a two-stepped base. The plinth bears the inscriptions in incised and blacked lettering and reads: IN/ MEMORY/ AND HONOUR OF/ THE MEN/ OF THIS PARISH/ WHO FELL/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918// (NAMES)// AND JOSEPH MILLAR WHO FELL IN THE SECOND GREAT WAR 1939 - 1945. The names of the fallen are listed on the left and right sides in order of first 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. 

One such war memorial was raised at Bowness on Solway as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. This war memorial was erected in 1920 within the churchyard of the Church of St Michael (National Heritage List for England: 1137007), to commemorate 29 local servicemen who fell in the First World War. It was built by the firm of masons Messrs Beattie & Co of Carlisle, who were responsible for many war memorials in the north of England and in Scotland, some of which are Grade II listed. The memorial was unveiled and dedicated on 8 December 1920 by the Bishop of Carlisle. After the Second World War the name of an additional serviceman was added.

Reasons for Listing

Bowness on Solway War Memorial, erected 1920, 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:

* a simple yet poignant memorial in the form of a Latin cross crafted in polished pink granite by Messrs Beattie of Carlisle.

Group value:

* it benefits from a spatial group value with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Michael, in whose churchyard it is located.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66480160

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

• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets