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Latitude: 52.2098 / 52°12'35"N
Longitude: -2.2251 / 2°13'30"W
OS Eastings: 384712
OS Northings: 256861
OS Grid: SO847568
Mapcode National: GBR 1FY.G7X
Mapcode Global: VH92M.DQ0C
Plus Code: 9C4V6Q5F+WW
Entry Name: War memorial in the churchyard of St Stephen's Church
Listing Date: 2 August 2017
Grade: II
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1448607
ID on this website: 101448607
Location: St Stephen's Church, Barbourne, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR3
County: Worcestershire
District: Worcester
Electoral Ward/Division: Claines
Parish: Non Civil Parish
Built-Up Area: Worcester
Traditional County: Worcestershire
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Worcestershire
Tagged with: War memorial
War memorial, erected in 1919.
War memorial, erected in 1919.
MATERIALS: a stone base with a wooden cross and canopy, and a wooden statue of Christ.
DESCRIPTION: located to the east of the Church of St Stephen (Grade II-listed) the war memorial comprises a kerbed and paved octagonal platform, a three-stepped, octagonal base, and a square plinth surmounted by a timber calvary cross, with an open triangular pediment above. The wooden sculpture of Christ is on the east face of the cross, and above is a plaque with the initials ‘INRI’ (this stands for Iesus Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm and translates as Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).
On the east face of the plinth is the inscription:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN THANKFUL MEMORY OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH / WHOM HE INSPIRED TO SUFFER AND TO DIE / FOR THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM AND RIGHT / IN THE GREAT WAR OF 1914 – 1919 / AND WHOSE NAMES ARE INSCRIBED HEREON / THIS REPRESENTATION OF THE SUPREME SACRIFICE / IS ERECTED BY THEIR FELLOW PARISHIONERS / GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS / THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.
The names of 75 men who died during the conflict are inscribed on the other sides of the plinth and the top riser of the west and north step.
The top riser of the east step is inscribed centrally with the date 1939 – 1945, and to either side are inscribed the three names, six in total, of the men of the parish who died in the Second World War.
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. 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 in the churchyard of the Church of St Stephen in Worcester. It was unveiled by Mrs H W Spreckley (whose three sons had died during the war) and dedicated on Sunday 5 October 1919. It is shown in this location on an aerial photograph dated 1920 and the 3rd edition (1927) Ordnance Survey map. Additional inscriptions to honour the Fallen of the Second World War were added at some point after 1945.
The war memorial in the churchyard of the Church of St Stephen in Worcester is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* It is an accomplished and well-realised calvary cross war memorial which displays good sculptural detail, and remains in its original location;
Historic interest:
* The war memorial has strong cultural and historical significance within both a local and national context as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the First and Second World Wars;
Group value:
* With the Grade II-listed Church of St Stephen.
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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