Summary
A First World War Memorial erected in 1920 with names added after the Second World War.
Description
Little Oakley War Memorial, dedicated on 21 March 1920.
MATERIALS: Granite
DESCRIPTION: Little Oakley War Memorial is located on the green at the corner of Bayview Crescent and Lodge Road.
It takes the form of a rough-hewn granite square Celtic cross. The cross shaft rises from a tapering plinth, square on plan, set on a square base. The front and rear faces of the plinth are recessed and smooth and bear the incised black-painted inscriptions.
The front face of the plinth reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF THE FOLLOWING/ MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO FELL/ SERVING THEIR COUNTRY DURING THE/ GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918/ (EIGHT NAMES). The rear face is inscribed SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1945/ (FOUR NAMES)/ 1946/ (NAME).
The memorial stands on a small square of concrete set within a wider grassed area. Two rectangular granite blocks are set into the floor by the memorial, one to the front and one to the rear. The block to the rear details the various locations of the memorial and the dates of relocation, while the block to the front is blank.
History
The concept of commemorating war dead did not develop to any great extent until towards the end of the C19. Previously, memorials were rare and were mainly dedicated to individual officers, or sometimes regiments. The first large-scale erection of war memorials dedicated to the ordinary soldier followed the Second Boer War of 1899-1902, the first major war following reforms to the British Army which led to regiments being recruited from local communities and with volunteer soldiers. However, it was the aftermath of the First World War that was the great age of memorial building, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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 Little Oakley as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by eight members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The memorial was originally located at the Church of St Mary in Little Oakley, where it was dedicated on 21 March 1920. When the church closed, the memorial was relocated to Little Oakley Methodist Chapel in 1981 and following the closure of that chapel it was relocated to Little Oakley Memorial Hall in 2004. In 2012 the memorial was relocated to its present location. Following the Second World War the names of the fallen from that conflict were added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Little Oakley 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 unusual example of a square-headed Celtic cross.
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
Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)