Summary

First World War memorial, erected c1920, with Second World War additions.

Description

First World War memorial, erected c1920, with Second World War additions.

MATERIALS: of stone.

PLAN: it is square on plan.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial faces north-west and stands on a small paved area which is itself set within a triangular-shaped area of land known as The Green. It takes the form of a small cenotaph with a base and plinth, both single stepped, and a chamfered pedestal supporting a short shaft with a canted top section. On the north-west face of the shaft there is a moulded rectangular panel inscribed: ‘ERECTED / BY THE PARISHIONERS OF / STOKE GIFFORD TO THE / EVERLASTING MEMORY OF / THE FOLLOWING BRAVE / MEN WHO FELL IN THE / GREAT WAR 1914-1919’ [Names]. The top stage is adorned with the relief of a laurel wreath enclosing the letters ‘RIP’ carved in relief at the centre. The Second World War dedication on the south-east face reads: ‘TO / THE MEMORY OF THOSE BRAVE MEN / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / 1939-1945’ [Names].

The paved area on which the memorial stands is rectangular on plan and retains seven contemporary fence posts which supported the chains of the low chain link fence (now missing) that formerly surrounded the memorial.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 11 January 2017.

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. One such memorial was erected in Stoke Gifford to commemorate the 13 men of the parish who died during this conflict. Following the Second World War a second dedicatory inscription was added to commemorate the five local men who died during this conflict.

Reasons for Listing

Stoke Gifford war memorial, erected c 1920, with Second World War additions, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of a world events on this community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;

* Design: as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial which takes the form of a cenotaph.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26677137

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

• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]