Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

The memorial stands in the south-east corner of the churchyard of the Church of St Mary (Grade I). It takes the form of a tall plain Latin cross in sandstone, rising from an octagonal pedestal. The pedestal stands on a three-stepped base.

The foot of the cross shaft is inscribed 1914/ 1918 whilst the commemorated First World War names are carved into the front three faces of the pedestal. At the foot of the centre-front face the dates 1939/ 1945 are recorded, with the Second World War names cut to either side.

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, 23 November 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. This was the 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 Ovingham 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 was unveiled on 2 April by Colonel Riddell DSO CMG and dedicated by the vicar. It commemorates 18 local servicemen who died in the First World War . The memorial cost £200, raised by public subscription. Designed by Hicks and Charlwood, it was made by Beall of Newcastle. Although the Faculty included permission for a dedication, which was to read ‘Remember the love of them who came not home from the war’, this was not inscribed. Following the Second World War a further eight names of men who died in that conflict were added.

Reasons for Listing

Ovingham War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary, 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 imposing and well-proportioned memorial cross;
* Group value: with the Church of St Mary (Grade I), a number of listed churchyard monuments, and the Grade II-listed village cross.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478138

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

• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)