Summary

First World War memorial obelisk, unveiled 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

The memorial stands in a prominent position in the churchyard, outside the east end of the Church of St Andrew (Grade I). It is in close proximity to listed churchyard monuments and Church Farmhouse (all Grade II). The memorial comprises a polished red granite obelisk rising from a square plinth, with a single-stepped base. It stands approximately 2.1m high.

The main inscription in incised and gilded lettering to the east face of the plinth reads TO/ OUR GLORIOUS DEAD/ 1914–1919/ (9 NAMES). A further inscription to the south face of the plinth reads ALSO/ 1939–1945/ (4 NAMES).

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 Barningham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by nine members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was unveiled on Saturday 21 February 1920 by Colonel Follett. The names of four local servicemen who died during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.

Reasons for Listing

Barningham War Memorial, which stands in the 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 the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* as a simple yet elegant example of an obelisk type of war memorial in the Classical style, making a strong visual contrast with the local building materials of the church.

Group value:

* with the Church of St Andrew (Grade I) and other structures listed at Grade II including churchyard monuments and Church Farmhouse.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66479265

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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