Summary

First World War memorial with an additional inscription added after the Second World War.

Description

This Cross memorial is prominently sited within the churchyard of the Holy Innocents Church on the corner of Wilbraham Road and Wilmslow Road.

The memorial is made out of stone. The base is a large, rectangular plinth, and above is a smaller sloping plinth. The long, tapered shaft which is situated above the plinth is of Celtic design with each side engraved in great detail. A Celtic-style wheel-cross is positioned at the very top of the memorial which is equally as detailed as the shaft.

The plinth is inscribed with 16 names of the fallen on the sides with the south face inscribed: IN MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE TWO WORLD WARS/ 1914-1918 1939-1945.

A stone tablet is situated in front of the memorial on the south side which has an integral bronze plaque inscribed with 72 names of those who died during the First World War. Along with the names, the inscription reads: IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE MEN FROM FALLOWFIELD/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919.

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 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, 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. One such memorial was raised at Fallowfield as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community, who lost their lives in the two world wars.

Reasons for Listing

Fallowfield 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 this community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: as a well-executed wheel-head cross with decorative Celtic-style carving;
* Group value: with the Grade II listed Church of the Holy Innocents.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26677903

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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