Summary

First World War memorial, by G Maile and Sons of London and unveiled on 12 November 1922, with further names added after the Second World War.

Description

MATERIALS: rough-hewn Cornish granite.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial is located on The Green on the High Street in the centre of Kirton. It consists of an obelisk on a square plinth and seven-stepped base.

The inscriptions are incised into polished plaques on the faces of the plinth and painted black and gold. The inscription on the front face reads: IN/ GRATEFUL/ AND GLORIOUS MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF KIRTON/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR KING AND COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WARS/ 1914 – 1918/ 1939 – 1945. The other faces are inscribed with the names. One of the faces is additionally inscribed: THEIR NAMES/ LIVE/ FOR EVER.

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 Kirton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Kirton War Memorial was built by G Maile and Sons at a cost of £530, to commemorate the 68 local servicemen who fell in the First World War. G Maile and Sons were masons, sculptors and church furnishers (especially stained glass), based in Euston Road, London. They were responsible for a number of war memorials across the country, a number of which are listed including Wooburn, Fowlmere and Pirton War Memorial (all Grade II).

The dedication ceremony was held on 12 November 1922 and it was unveiled by Sir Archibald Weigall who was Governor of South Australia 1920-1922 and also unveiled many war memorials there. The names of the fallen from the Second World War were added at a later date.

The memorial is sited in a triangular paved area surrounded by the original railings on a low wall with an ornate iron entrance gate located at one corner. Three new gates were added in 1996.

In 2009 16 names were added to the war memorial on new granite blocks with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust.

Reasons for Listing

Kirton 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;
* Architectural interest: a simple yet dignified obelisk in Cornish granite;
* Group value: with the Church of St Peter and St Paul (Grade I), a K6 Telephone Kiosk and The Peacocks (both Grade II).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478114

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

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
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  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
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  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
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  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings