Summary
First World War memorial erected between 1919 and 1921, with additional names added following the Second World War. Architect unknown.
Description
First World War memorial erected between 1919 and 1921, with additional names added following the Second World War. Architect unknown.
MATERIALS: carved of limestone.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial takes the form of a Cavalry Cross and is located within Stratton Cemetery. Its top is designed as a square lantern with a pitched roof, with a Calvary Cross depicting Christ carved into its front side. This sits atop a simple square capital with a tapered octagonal column shaft running down. Below this lies a low octagonal plinth with a three-stepped square base. The plinth and upper two steps have the following inscriptions in incised and painted lettering:
(East Face) R.I.P. / TO THE MEMORY OF THE / MEN OF STRATTON WHO FELL / IN THE GREAT EUROPEAN WAR / 1914 - 1919 / (NAMES)
(North Face) 1939 – 1945 / (NAMES)
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 which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Stratton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Stratton War Memorial is located to the east of the Church of St Peter (Grade II*) and within its associated cemetery. The war memorial was built in about 1919-1921 to commemorate 20 parishioners who lost their lives in the First World War. Following the Second World War, five further names were added to commemorate the men who died in that conflict. The memorial serves as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars.
Reasons for Listing
Stratton 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:
* for its accomplished and well-realised design in the form of a Calvary 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
County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy