Summary
A First World War memorial dating to around 1920, altered after the Second World War.
Description
A First World War memorial dating to around 1920, altered after the Second World War.
MATERIALS: the memorial is made of granite.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is a 4m high Celtic cross with an elongated shaft. It stands on a tapered four-sided plinth. The cross has raised edges and a central round boss. The plinth rests on a square base with a bevelled top edge. The base stands on two rough-hewn square steps. The main inscription on the north-west face of the plinth reads: TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ 1914-1918. The names of the 37 fallen parishioners are listed on the other three faces of the plinth. On the north-western bevelled top edge of the base is the additional inscription ‘1939 – 1945’. Below that on the main face of the base are the 10 names of those who fell in the Second World War. A rectangular stone vase on the bottom step bears the inscription: IN MEMORIAM.
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 the village cemetery in Stowupland as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 37 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The names of the 10 parishioners who fell during the Second World War were added subsequently. A separate memorial plaque with names of the fallen from both wars is located within Holy Trinity Church, Stowupland.
The memorial cross stands at the south end of the central path through the cemetery. This is a very prominent position, visible from the cemetery gates on Church Road. The cross cost £350 and was unveiled on 24 October 1920 by Lieutenant Colonel C P Beevor of the 6th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment.
Reasons for Listing
The Stowupland War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a good example of a carved stone Celtic cross
Historic interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20.
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
County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)