Summary

First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

The tall stone memorial is located to the east side of the church of St Mary (Grade II) near the South Drive road entrance. It stands on a small, hexagonal area of gravel delineated by a stone kerb, standing in front of the blocked doorway in the church’s east wall.

The memorial has a triangular base, bearing a stone plaque dedicated to the memory of the members of the parish who died during the Second World War, facing east. The inscription reads ALSO/ IN MEMORY OF MEMBERS OF THIS/ PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN/ THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939- 1945.

The base is surmounted by a triangular plinth. On each side of this plinth there is a rectangular stone plaque commemorating those who died in the First World War:

(east face) THESE DIED FOR/ THEIR COUNTRY/ 1914 – 1919

(north-west face) THEY COUNTED NOT/ THEIR LIVES DEAR/ UNTO THEMSELVES

(south-west face) THEY WERE A WALL/ UNTO US BOTH BY/ NIGHT AND BY DAY

A tall, slim, triangular pedestal rises from the plinth, with scrolled feet to each corner. On each side of the pedestal stone plaques bear the names of the fallen. The pedestal is capped with a shallow cornice on which there are three small scrolls carved in relief. Rising from the cornice is a hexagonal, tapering column. The top of the column is finished with a simple hexagonal collar.

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, 27 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 raised at St Mary’s Church, Sandown Park, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 83 members of the local community, who lost their lives in the First World War.

The church of St Mary in Sandown Park was destroyed in November 1940 by German bombing. In December 1952 the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Wavertree (some 400m to the south), was purchased by the Church of England, and converted into the present day St Mary’s. The First World War memorial in the former church grounds was moved to the new site. Additions were made to commemorate the fallen of the Second World War.

Reasons for Listing

The war memorial at St Mary’s Church, Wavertree, which stands in the churchyard, 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 local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Group value: with the Grade II-listed Church of St Mary.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26678015

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

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide