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Latitude: 51.0009 / 51°0'3"N
Longitude: -2.2035 / 2°12'12"W
OS Eastings: 385814
OS Northings: 122405
OS Grid: ST858224
Mapcode National: GBR 1XP.1QY
Mapcode Global: FRA 668G.PC9
Plus Code: 9C3V2Q2W+8H
Entry Name: War Memorial Cross
Listing Date: 16 November 2015
Grade: II
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1430732
ID on this website: 101430732
Location: St James's Church, St James, Dorset, SP7
County: Dorset
Civil Parish: Shaftesbury
Built-Up Area: Shaftesbury
Traditional County: Dorset
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Dorset
Church of England Parish: Shaftesbury and Enmore Green St James
Church of England Diocese: Salisbury
Tagged with: War memorial
War memorial, erected in 1921.
War memorial, erected in 1921.
MATERIALS: constructed from timber and local stone.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is situated in the churchyard, close to the liturgical east (north-east) end of the church, to which it is fixed with metal ties*. It is in the form of a wooden Calvary cross with a bronze hanging figure of Christ, a wood and tiled gabled weatherhood above, and a wooden shaft. It is set on a square socket stone which rests on a two-stepped square base. The socket stone has three bronze plaques which carry inscriptions. The south-east plaque is inscribed: REST ETERNAL GRANT UNTO/ (NAMES); the front (north-east) one: THEM O LORD AND LET LIGHT/ (NAMES), and the plaque to the north-west face: PERPETUAL SHINE UPON THEM/ (NAMES). On the north-east side of the upper step is a further plaque which is inscribed: MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD.
* Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that the fixings between the war memorial and the church are not of special architectural or historic interest and are not included in 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, 7 December 2016.
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 the churchyard of St James’ church (Grade II) in Shaftesbury in the early 1920s to commemorate the fallen from this community who lost their lives during the conflict.
The War Memorial in St James’ Churchyard, Shaftesbury is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this community and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: as a simple, yet elegant memorial in the form of a Calvary cross;
* Group value: the memorial has group value with the church of St James (Grade II).
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.
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