Summary
A First World War Memorial unveiled in 1920.
Description
A First World War Memorial unveiled in 1920.
MATERIALS: the memorial is carved from Clipsham stone.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in the churchyard, approximately 15m east of the Church of All Saints (Grade II). It is approximately 2.5m high and is set within a small, rectangular enclosure defined by low stone edging. The memorial comprises an unadorned Celtic wheel cross set on a trapezoidal pedestal above a single-stepped square plinth. The Christogram, ‘IHS’, is incised at the centre of the east face of the cross.
The inscription engraved on the east face of the pedestal reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND TO THE MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF SEMER/ WHO LOYALLY AND FAITHFULLY/ LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914–1918/ +/ GRANT UNTO THEM O LORD ETERNAL REST/ LIVE THOU FOR ENGLAND/ WE FOR ENGLAND DIED. Below, the inscription on the east face of the plinth reads: BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH/ AND I WILL GIVE THEE THE CROWN OF LIFE.
The inscription on the west face reads: OH THE BEAUTY O THE GLADNESS/ OF THAT RESURRECTION DAY/ WHICH SHALL NOT THROUGH ENDLESS AGES/ PASS AWAY/ TO THAT BRIGHTEST OF ALL MEETINGS/ BRING US JESUS CHRIST AT LAST/ BY THE CROSS THROUGH DEATH AND JUDGEMENT/ HOLDING FAST.
The names and regiments of the five fallen are given on the north and south faces of the pedestal.
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 Semer 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 unveiled on Sunday 27 June 1920 by Sir Courtenay Warner, Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, and dedicated by the Reverend C L B Elliott, rector of Tattingstone.
Reasons for Listing
Semer War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a well-executed stone cross.
Historic interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the First World War.
Group value:
* with the Church of All Saints (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
A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)