Summary
A stone war memorial of 1920, within the churchyard of All Saints Church, Plumpton Green, West Sussex.
Description
A stone war memorial, 1920, within the churchyard of All Saints Church, Plumpton Green.
MATERIALS: grey granite.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands outside the southern entrance to All Saints Church. The base is octagonal and it stands on two octagonal steps. An octagonal shaft rises from a collar on the base to form a cross which is also octagonal in profile. The front face of the cross has a sword of sacrifice carved in relief. The names of the fallen, 28 from the First World War and two from the Second World War, are recorded in metal letters which are attached to the stone base. The steps also carry metal letters with the motto SACRED/ TO THE MEMORY/ OF THOSE OF/ THIS PARISH/ WHO FELL IN/ THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 - 1919/GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIEND
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, 11 January 2018.
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 Plumpton Green, 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 unveiled by Colonel H I Powell-Edwards D.S.O. (Distinguished Service Order). The service took place on the 12 December 1920, and the Reverend Teesdale W Cockell officiated. The memorial was built and erected by Messrs Bridgeman of Lewes. It is unusual in that it records the name of a servicewoman; Staff Nurse M Rodwell, who died when the Hospital Ship Anglia was mined in the English Channel on 17 November 1915. Two further names of the fallen were added after the Second World War.
Reasons for Listing
Plumpton Green War Memorial, in the churchyard of All Saints Church, of 1920 is listed at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this part of the community, and the sacrifice it made in the First and Second World Wars.
Architectural interest:
* a simple but poignant war memorial created from good quality materials.
Group value:
* with the adjacent memorial lychgate (Grade II).
External Links
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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