Summary

A churchyard First World War memorial cross of circa 1920, of limestone with a Celtic-style wheel-head.

Description

A churchyard First World War memorial cross of circa 1920.

MATERIALS & PLAN
The monument is of limestone and has a wheel-head cross supported by a shaft which rises from a tapered plinth on a three stepped base.

The eastern side of the head of the cross has a large boss to the centre and smaller bosses to the ends of the arms, with Celtic entwined foliage ornament. Below this the tapered shaft connects to the tapered plinth which is inscribed with the wording TO THE GLORY OF GOD / THE GIVER OF VICTORY / AND TO THE HONOURED MEMORY / OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH / WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES / IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918 / THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE.

The rear of the cross head is similarly decorated and the rear and flanks of the plinth are inscribed with the names of the fallen.

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, 25 July 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, as a result of both the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities, and also 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 in the churchyard of St Barnabas Church, Worcester as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The memorial appears to date from circa 1920.

Reasons for Listing

The war memorial, St Barnabas' churchyard, Worcester 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 First World War;
* Architectural interest: as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial, which takes the form of a Celtic cross with carving to both principal sides.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66477800

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

• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5