Great Thurlow War Memorial, Great Thurlow, Suffolk

Summary

Great Thurlow war memorial, unveiled in 1921 and dedicated to the fallen of the First World War with later inscriptions added to commemorate those who fell in the Second World War.

Description

Great Thurlow war memorial, erected April 1921 (with Second World War inscriptions added), built to the designs of Rev W A Wickham.

MATERIALS: of granite stone.

PLAN: square in plan-form.

DESCRIPTION: the Great Thurlow war memorial stands approximately 3.5 metres in height, takes the form of a Latin cross with an octagonal tapered shaft positioned on a low square corniced plinth and base. At the collar of the tapered shaft, beneath the cross, is a crenelated crown which features motifs of the fleur-de-lys interspersed between the letters ‘IHS’ (a Greek Christogram symbol of Jesus Christ, in the form of acronym) carved in relief . The east face of the plinth is inscribed with the epitaph ‘REMEMBER IN CHRIST THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR / LIVES DURING THE GREAT WAR, A.D. 1914-1918’ and the names of five local men who fell in the conflict. Following the Second World War a further carved inscription was added to the south face of the plinth to commemorate two of the fallen from this conflict.

The memorial is set prominently on Withersfield Road between the junctions with Wratting Road and Bury Road, located in front of the Great Thurlow Reading Room (built 1903). The memorial is positioned centrally on the slanted forecourt and is bounded to the south and east by a low-set curved section of brick wall which supports a cast-iron railing. Situated opposite the war memorial, on the east side of Withersfield Road (to the north side of the junction with Bury Road), is the C17 former Rose and Crown public house, listed Grade II (NHLE 1181908). Other listed buildings at the Withersfied Road junction in the middle of Great Thurlow include a C17 timber-framed cottage (112A and 113A Bury Road), and a C17 house to the east along Bury Road, at 112, both of which are listed Grade II (NHLE 1031683; 1284751).

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, 30 January 2018.

History

The concept of commemorating war dead did not develop to any great extent until towards the end of the C19. Prior to then 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, which was 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.

Great Thurlow war memorial was erected in memory of five local men who fell in the First World War (1914-18), built to the designs of Rev W A Wickham, a local antiquarian and the Rector of the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Ampton, Suffolk (located approximately 20 miles north-east of Great Thurlow). Rev W A Wickham felt the tragic consequences of the war first-hand, his only son, Lieutenant B W T Wickham, having been killed in action in April 1917 shortly after being awarded the Military Cross for ‘conspicuous gallantry’. Following the war, Wickham produced designs for two other Suffolk memorials; one at Ingham and another at Yaxley, which were unveiled in November 1919 and February 1921 respectively, both being very closely related in design to the memorial at Great Thurlow.

The Great Thurlow war memorial was unveiled at a ceremony held on 3 April 1921, which was attended by noted local dignitaries including Rev W G Hodges, who gave a dedication, and Major P Carew, who unveiled the monument. Following the Second World War (1939-45) the names of two of the fallen from the conflict were added to the memorial.

Reasons for Listing

Great Thurlow war memorial, unveiled in 1921, 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: as a well-executed cross memorial with a set of original carved inscriptions to the plinth;

* Group value: for the strong group value it holds with other listed buildings standing around the Withersfield Road junction.

External Links

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