Summary

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

Description

The stone memorial stands at the junction of Wicker Lane and Hale Road. It takes the form of a wheel-head cross raised on a tapered octagonal shaft. The shaft stands on a pedestal, square on plan and chamfered, that stands on an octagonal base.

Each face of the pedestal is ornamented to the top with a strapwork roundel supported by flambeaux, carved in low relief. Each roundel bears a wreath encircling a lion passant. The commemorated names are incised below on each face.

The chamfered pedestal corners are carved in a broad interlace pattern ending in stops. The dedicatory inscription is incised into the upper face of the base, encircling the memorial cross, reading TO THE MEMORY AND HONOUR OF THE MEN OF HALE BARNS AND RINGWAY WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE TWO WORLD WARS with the dates 1914 – 1919 and 1939 – 1945 to the sides. The lower portion of the base is rough-hewn.

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, 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, as a result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Hale Barns as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 26 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. Following the Second World War the names of eight men who died in that conflict were added.

Reasons for Listing

Hale Barns and Ringway War Memorial, which stands at the junction of Wicker Lane and Hale Road, 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;
* Architectural interest: an elegant memorial cross.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66477881

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

• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)