Summary
First World War memorial built by F J Lindley with further names added after the Second World War.
Description
First World War memorial built by F J Lindley with further names added after the Second World War.
MATERIALS: Portland stone.
PLAN: the memorial is located in St Mary’s Churchyard to the south-west of the Grade I listed church.
EXTERIOR: the memorial is in the form of a Latin cross with chamfered edges. It rests upon a tapered plinth which in turns is supported by a shallow square base. One face of the plinth is inscribed with the following: LEST WE FORGET/ TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND/ IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF/ THIS PARISH WHO FELL IN/ THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919/ (Names)/ GREATER LOVE HAS NO MAN THAN/ THIS, THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE/ FOR HIS FRIENDS. The opposite face is inscribed with the following: 1939-1945/ TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND/ IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF/ THOSE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE/ CAUSE OF FREEDOM AND TO/ SAVE THEIR COUNTRY FROM/ TYRANNY AND AGRESSION (Sic)/ (Names).
History
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 Preston St Mary 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 built by F J Lindley of North Street, Sudbury, who built other memorials in the area. It commemorates the four men from the village who were killed. Another three names were added to the memorial after the Second World War.
Reasons for Listing
Preston St Mary War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* it is 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.
Group value:
* it has group value with the Grade I listed Church of St Mary.
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
ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
Period Property Manual (New Ed)
London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)