Little Barford War Memorial, Little Barford, Bedford

Entry Name: Little Barford War Memorial

Listing Date: 8 February 2023

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1484690

ID on this website: 101484690

Location: St Denys's Church, Little Barford, Bedford, Bedfordshire, PE19

County: Bedford

Civil Parish: Little Barford

Traditional County: Bedfordshire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Bedfordshire

Summary

A First World War memorial probably dedicated in the 1920s.

Description

MATERIALS: Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: The memorial sits in the north-east part of the churchyard of the parish Church of St Denys, close to the entrance. It takes the form of a cross fleury with a roundel at the centre and raised decorative bands on both faces which is mounted on a short tapering shaft on a square-plan plinth of two tiers set on a base.

There are inscriptions on the north-east face of the base and both tiers of the plinth. On the upper tier is inscribed ‘IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF THIS/ PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919.’ Below this are inscribed the names of seven men who lost their lives in the First World War and on the base is inscribed ‘LIVE THOU FOR ENGLAND, WE FOR ENGLAND DIED’.

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.

It is not known precisely when this memorial was constructed, though it was probably in the early 1920s. It commemorates seven individuals from the parish of Little Barford who lost their lives in the First World War. The name of the designer of the memorial is not known. The memorial is situated in the north-east corner of the churchyard of the parish Church of St Denys (listed Grade II*, NHLE 1114892). Inside the church is a timber plaque with a Roll of Honour commemorating all 28 men from the parish who served during the First World War.

Reasons for Listing

Little Barford 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 a good example of memorial design incorporating a decorated cross fleury giving it added design interest.

Group value

* it shares a functional relationship with the parish Church of St Denys, Little Barford.

External Links

Historic England Listing

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.