Summary
First World War memorial, erected in 1922, with later additions.
Description
First World War memorial, erected in 1922, with later additions.
MATERIALS: carved from stone.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands at the Purslow crossroads, at the south-west corner of the junction between the B4368 and the B4385. It takes the form of an obelisk, square in section, rising from a small base, and stands on a pedestal, with a two-stepped plinth.
The inscriptions are in incised capital lettering, painted black. The principal dedicatory inscription is inscribed to the front (north-east) face of the base of the obelisk and reads:
IN MEMORY OF / THE GLORIOUS DEAD / 1914 – 1919.
On the dado beneath, to the front and side faces, are listed the names and ranks of the 27 men who died during the First World War. To the top step of the plinth is the inscription:
THEY DIED FOR FREEDOM
The later inscriptions, also incised and painted black, are recorded to the front face of the obelisk. The inscription reads:
GULF 1991 / (1 NAME) / 1939 – 1945 / (5 NAMES).
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the whole stands on a raised stone platform bounded by hoop-head, wrought iron railings.
History
The great age of memorial building was in the aftermath of the First World War which 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. The memorials, therefore, provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
Clunbury War Memorial was erected as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 27 members of the local community who died in the First World War. The memorial was unveiled in April 1922 during a ceremony led by Reverend A D Beavan.
The names of five parishioners who died during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial. An additional name was added following the Gulf War.
Reasons for Listing
Clunbury 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:
* as a well-executed example of an obelisk-type memorial.
Group value:
* with a mid-C19 milestone (Grade II).
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
Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
[(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability