Summary

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

Description

MATERIALS: sandstone.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located within the churchyard of St Martin’s Church, and it comprises a cross surmounting a tapered shaft set on a stepped plinth. A crown with a smaller cross inside is carved at the centre of the cross arms. The front face of the plinth carries a large bronze wreath and the inscription which reads OUR GLORIOUS DEAD/ EUROPE/ 1914/ – / 1919/ AFRICA ASIA/ TO THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF THOSE OF THIS TOWNSHIP/ WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES FOR THE CAUSE OF RIGHT AND JUSTICE IN THE GREAT WAR./ THEIR GLORY SHALL NOT BE BLOTTED OUT./ "THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE."/ 1939/ – /1945/ ALSO THOSE WHO FELL IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR.

The plinth is set upon a two-stepped base.

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, 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 St Martin's, Ashton-upon-Mersey as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the parish who lost their lives in the First World War. The extension of the churchyard with the memorial were given by Sir Harry V Kilvert in 1921.

Following the Second World War, a dedication for those who lost their lives in that conflict was also added. Plaques inside the church and a stained glass window carry the names of the fallen.

Reasons for Listing

St Martin's, Ashton-upon-Mersey 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 sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: an elegant and striking sandstone cross with decorative details;
* Group value: with St Martin's Church (Grade II*), lychgate and a sundial in the churchyard (both Grade II).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478188

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

• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)