Summary

First World War memorial. 1924, with later additions.

Description

The war memorial stands in the churchyard of the Grade I-listed Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, overlooking the village street. The memorial is in the form of a granite cross, with simple raised interlace to the front of the shaft. On the front face of its tapering plinth the dedication, in applied metal lettering, reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD./ IN PIOUS MEMORY OF THE MEN/ OF RINGSTED WHO FELL DURING/ THE GREAT WAR/ AND/ IN GRATITUDE FOR THE MERCIES/ OF A LIFETIME THIS CROSS IS/ THE HUMBLE OFFERING OF/ HERBERT ALFRED BILLSON,/ WHO LOVED THE VILLAGE./ JESU MERCY.

The names of the fallen and of those who died in the Second World War appear on the other faces of the plinth, along with one individual who died in 1967. The plinth stands on a three-stepped, granite base.

The concrete-flagged surrounding path and approach is excluded from the listing.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 17 January 2017.

History

The memorial was unveiled on 4 July 1924 by Colonel J Brown DSO. It was given to the village by Mr H A Billson, a shoe manufacturer from Northampton. Names commemorating the dead of the Second World War, and the name of a Paratrooper who died during the Aden Emergency in 1967, were added.

Reasons for Listing

Ringstead (Northamptonshire) War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 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;
* Design: a well-executed medieval-style cross;
* Group value: with the Grade I-listed Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26677214

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

• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)