Summary

First World War memorial, c1920.

Description

First World War memorial, c1920.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is carved from granite and is in the form of a rough-hewn, Celtic-style cross with a tapering shaft that is set into a plinth which stands on a chamfered base. The N face of the plinth carries the inscription in black painted lettering: LET ALL THAT KNOW HIS NAME / PRAISE GOD WITH THANKSGIVING FOR / THOSE VALIANT MEN OF / ST PAUL’S CHURCH AND PARISH / WHO DIED THE DEATH OF HONOUR / FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914-1919 / AND WHO DEPARTED IN THE HOPE OF / RESURRECTION TO ETERNAL LIFE / “AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING / WE WILL REMEMBER THEM” / ‘IN THAT PLACE OF LIGHT / GIVE THEM REST O LORD’. The names of the Fallen are listed on the other three faces of the plinth.

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 erected in front of the Church of St Paul on Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth to commemorate 73 men of the church and the parish who lost their lives during the conflict.

Reasons for Listing

The war memorial at St Paul’s Church, Weymouth is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Design interest: as a simple, yet dignified Celtic cross;
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Group value: with the Grade II listed Church of St Paul.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478341

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

• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas