Summary

First World War memorial with Second World War additions.

Description

Shamley Green War Memorial is situated within the churchyard of Christ Church (Grade II-listed), adjacent to the main path to the church.

The memorial takes the form of a stone, Greek cross, with cusping to the cross arms. This crowns an octagonal shaft with a moulded collar and splayed base. The shaft rises from a four-sided plinth with chamfered top surmounting a three-stepped octagonal base.

The principal inscription is to the east face of the plinth and reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ TO THE HONOURED MEMORY OF/ THOSE WHO DIED FOR ENGLAND/ IN THE GREAT WAR./ 1914-1919. Directly below, to the uppermost step is the Second World War dedication: AND IN THE SECOND/ WORLD WAR/ 1939-1945.

To the west face of the plinth is the inscription: THE NUMBER WHO JOINED UP/ FOR THE WAR FROM THIS VILLAGE/ WAS 144. This is continued on the step below with AND IN 1939-1945/ 135.

The names of those who died in the First World War are incised on the remaining faces of the plinth, while those for the Second World War were added to various sides of the top two steps of the base, along with the dates 1939-1945.

All lettering is incised and painted black.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 1 September 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 which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

One such memorial was raised at Shamley Green as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 15 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The 11 names of those of the community who lost their lives during the Second World War were added later.

Reasons for Listing

Shamley Green War Memorial, which is situated in Christ Church churchyard, 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:
* A simple yet dignified Greek cross memorial;

Group value:
* For its relationship with the Grade II-listed Christ Church.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478880

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

• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)