Summary
A First World War memorial unveiled in 1920.
Description
First World War memorial, unveiled in 1920 by Reverend Marriott.
MATERIALS: marble.
DESCRIPTION: Smisby War Memorial is located on a triangular area of grass at the centre of the junction of Chapel Street, Forties Lane and Main Street.
The memorial takes the form of a marble Latin cross rising from a tapering plinth on a two-stepped base, the lower step of which is concrete. The cross-head is encircled with a carved wreath of flowers while each face of the plinth is recessed.
The south face of the plinth bears the inscription ERECTED/ BY THE PARISHIONERS/ IN MEMORY OF SMISBY MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ R.I.P. The north face reads FOR KING/ AND COUNTRY while the names of the four fallen are recorded on the remaining sides.
The memorial stands on a square concreted area enclosed by iron railings.
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. One such memorial was raised at Smisby as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by four members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Smisby War Memorial was unveiled in 1920 by Reverend Marriott.
Reasons for Listing
Smisby 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 an elegant and pleasing example of a Latin Cross.
Group value
* for its strong group value with the nearby Church of St James (Grade I), The Lock Up (Grade II*), the steps, gates and railings to the south-east of the Church (Grade II), and Pitts Farmhouse (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
The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)