Summary

First World War memorial, by G A Ward and Sons, unveiled on 10 December 1920, with further names added after the Second World War.

Description

MATERIALS: limestone.

DESCRIPTION: Melbourn War Memorial is located outside All Saints Church on an area of green at the junction of Station Road and High Street. It consists of a Latin cross on a tall tapering octagonal shaft with a carved wreath at its base. The shaft rises from a chamfered square plinth on a five-stepped base. It stands some 5.4m high.

The inscriptions on the memorial are incised into the plinth. The dedication reads: 1914 – 1918/ IN/ MEMORY/ (NAMES)/ WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES).

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 the country, 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 unveiled at Melbourn on 10 December 1920 by A R Fordham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. 

It was designed by G A Ward and Sons and commemorates 45 local servicemen who died during the First World War. Following the Second World War, a dedication was added to commemorate the 14 fallen of that conflict.

Reasons for Listing

Melbourn 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: an elegant and striking Latin cross;
* Group value: with All Saints Church (Grade II*) and Crossways (Grade II).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478382

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.

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