Summary

First World War memorial Calvary cross, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

The memorial stands in the grounds of the Church of St Thomas of Canterbury (Grade II), in the northern part of the churchyard aligned to the north-east gate. Standing to a height of approximately 2m, it is a sandstone Calvary cross depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ with a hood at the top. The Gothic-style hood incorporates a blind arch with the monogram INRI carved in low relief on a scroll at its base. At the bottom of the cross shaft, rectangular in section, are the words JESU/ MERCY carved in low relief.

The rear of the cross shaft is decorated with an image, carved in low relief, of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms. The cross shaft rises from a rectangular plinth, which stands on a base of two rectangular steps. The front of the plinth bears the inscription in raised lettering + IN MEMORY OF +/ OUR GALLANT DEAD/ 1914 TO 1918/ 1939 TO 1945.

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 St Thomas’s Church, Chester, in the immediate aftermath of the First World War in order to commemorate the dead from the parish of St Oswald and St Thomas of Canterbury. The dates of the Second World War were added after 1945 in order to commemorate those who died in this subsequent conflict. The memorial does not record the names of the dead. However, the church has a record of 30 individuals who died in the two World Wars.

Reasons for Listing

The war memorial cross which stands in the churchyard of St Thomas’s Church, Chester, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest:

* As an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* A large Calvary cross incorporating the figure of Christ crucified carved in the round with a low relief carving of the Virgin with child.

Group value:

* With the Church of St Thomas and its churchyard wall, gate piers and gates (all Grade II-listed).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66479186

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

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  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
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  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)