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: the memorial is constructed of stone with bronze plaques.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in the churchyard of the now-demolished Holy Rood Church. It is situated near to the entrance from Old School Lane, and stands on the platform of a former terrace to the church.
The memorial comprises a plain Latin cross in stone, with chamfered edges throughout, and a relief-carved shield of St George to the centre of the tapering shaft. The shaft stands on a low eight-sided plinth (square with deeply chamfered corners) on a square base. The dedication is inscribed onto the shaft, but the names and Second World War inscriptions are applied in cast bronze plaques around the plinth.
The inscription is partly incised onto shaft of the cross, and partly applied as cast bronze plaques and reads: 1914/ TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN/ PROUD/ AND GRATEFUL/ MEMORY/ OF THE/ NOBLE DEAD/ 1918/ (NAMES)/ 1939-1945/ (NAMES).
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. This meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Bagworth, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The memorial was presumably erected around 1920, in the churchyard of Holy Rood Church. The church was demolished in 1968 due to subsidence, and was replaced with a new building, also since demolished.
The memorial commemorates 18 local servicemen who fell in the First World War. It was altered following the Second World War to commemorate the eight men and one woman who fell in that conflict.
Reasons for Listing
The war memorial in Bagworth is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* it is a dignified and sombre stone cross, neatly made and well-proportioned.
Historic interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact on the local community of the events of the First World War.
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, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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