Summary
A First World War memorial, erected in about 1920; a further name added after the Second World War.
Description
A First World War memorial, erected in about 1920; a further name added after the Second World War.
MATERIALS: stone.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises a stone cross with carved cross fleury to the face, on a short shaft with moulded foot, atop a slightly tapering plinth on a three-tiered platform. The plinth bears the inscriptions in incised lettering. Very low metal bars tightly bound the foot of the memorial, protecting the platform.
The inscription is in incised lettering and reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN LOVING & GRATEFUL MEMORY OF/ (NAMES)/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR KING AND/ COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1919/ IN SACRED SLEEP THEY LIE/ SAY NOT THAT THE BRAVE DIE/ (NAME) 1939-1945// THE HONOURED RETURNED/ (NAMES)// THE HONOURED RETURNED/ (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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
By May 1919, it was decided by the people of Stow Bedon that their memorial would take the form of a monument in the churchyard, at the Church of St Botolph, if funds could be raised. A committee was formed to begin collecting money, and the memorial erected in about 1920. The memorial commemorates ten local servicemen who fell in the First World War and another serviceman who died in the Second World War. The names of those who served and returned alive are also included.
Reasons for Listing
Stow Bedon 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:
* for its design, a simple but well-executed cross.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Botolph (Grade II*), in whose churchyard 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
Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)