Summary
A First World War memorial, built 1922; altered after the Second World War.
Description
A First World War memorial, built 1922; altered after the Second World War.
MATERIALS
Limestone.
DESCRIPTION
Coleorton War Memorial is located in the centre of a triangular green at the road junction of Farm Town Lane and Ashby Road. It comprises a stone Latin cross with cusped edge-decorations and moulded terminals to the arms. It has a tapering hexagonal shaft on a four-sided plinth with chamfered edges, and a square base with round-canted edges and corners. The whole is surrounded by a low stone kerb.
The plinth bears the inscriptions in incised lettering which reads: IN MEMORY OF / THE MEN OF THIS PLACE / WHO FELL IN / THE GREAT WARS/ 1914-1918 / AND / 1939-1945/ followed by the names of those who were lost and the year that they fell, and THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE inscribed beneath.
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 28 April 2023 to correct two references in selected sources.
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 Coleorton, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 20 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Coleorton War Memorial was designed and made by Robert Bridgeman and Sons of Lichfield and erected by a local mason, Edward Orton. Established by Robert Bridgeman (1844-1918) in 1879 the practice is best-known for the Gothic front of the John Rylands Library, Manchester and the restoration of the west front of Lichfield Cathedral, amongst many other sculptural commissions, including war memorials. The war memorial was funded by public subscription. It was unveiled on Sunday 17 September 1922, by Lieutenant Colonel RE Martin, CMG and dedicated by the rector, the Reverend JN Philpot.
Following the Second World War, a dedication was added to commemorate the five men who fell in that conflict.
The memorial was originally located at the junction of three roads, in front of Coleorton Almshouses and near to Coleorton Hall. The memorial was damaged by traffic in the 1970s resulting in the shaft being replaced and the memorial being moved to its current location. It was restored in 2018 through a grant from the War Memorials Trust.
Reasons for Listing
Coleorton 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:
* an elegant and well-executed stone cross by an established sculptural and architectural practice;
Group value:
* with the Grade II* registered Coleorton Hall Historic Park and Garden.
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
This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)