Summary

A war memorial commemorating the fallen from the villages of Barrow and Willey, Shropshire, placed in the parkland of Willey Hall.

Description

A war memorial commemorating the fallen from the villages of Barrow and Willey, Shropshire, placed in the parkland of Willey Hall.

MATERIALS & PLAN: sandstone. A Celtic cross with wheelhead and panelled base placed on a tomb chest with indented corners above a stepped plinth.

DESCRIPTION: The cross head has a central boss from which extend four stylised flower shapes. The plain circlet is set behind the tapered arms of the cross which each have a hollowed panel at their centre. The prominent stepped base is inscribed ‘TO THE / GLORY OF GOD’ and the lid of the tomb chest has a hipped profile. Each side has a shouldered, rectangular panel in relief. That to the south is inscribed ‘THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY / GEORGE 6TH BARON FORESTER / THE IMMORTAL MEMORY OF THOSE OF / THE PARISHES OF WILLEY & BARROW / WHO DIED FOR THEIR KING AND COUNTRY / IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 / 1918’. Below this, on the moulded base of the tomb chest are a crossed rifle and sword with a laurel wreath to the centre. Names of the fallen are inscribed on the sides. To the north side the panel forms the monument to the Second World War and is inscribed ‘ALSO OF / (names of the fallen) / WHEN SHALL THEIR GLORY FADE / 1939 / 1945’.

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 war memorial was raised at Barrow 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 at Willey Park was unveiled in November 1920 by the Marquess of Cambridge and dedicated by Revd. Prebendary Bartlett DD, Rural Dean of Wenlock. It was altered after 1945.

Reasons for Listing

Berrow and Willey War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial, which takes the form of a cross and table tomb.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478629

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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