Cockfield War Memorial, Cockfield, Suffolk

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 3 April 1920, with Second World War additions.

Description

First World War memorial, 1920, with Second World War additions.

DESCRIPTION: Cockfield War Memorial is located on a triangular traffic island at the junction of Church Lane and Howe Lane, to the west of the former public house, Six Bells (Grade II-listed).

The memorial is carved from light-grey Scottish granite and comprises a tall wheel-head cross with a tapering shaft terminating in a moulded foot. The shaft rises from a tapering, square plinth which surmounts a two-stepped, chamfered base; the bottom step is carved from a different type of stone than the rest of the memorial.

The main inscription is to the south-east face of the plinth and reads, IN MEMORY OF/ THE COCKFIELD MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE WAR/ 1914–1919./ "THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE." The 26 names of the fallen from the First World War are recorded on the remaining three sides of the plinth.

A further inscription on the south-east face of the upper step of the base reads, 1939–1945. The five names of the fallen from the Second World War are on the remaining three sides of the base.

All lettering is incised, painted black.

The memorial stands on an area of paving within a square enclosure formed by eight concrete posts* which are joined by metal rails*.

* Pursuant to s1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’), it is declared that these aforementioned features are not of special architectural or historic interest.

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 Cockfield as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Discussions began in 1919 around a suitable war memorial for the village. Money was raised via public subscription and the total cost of the memorial was £130 10s. It was erected by the stonemasons, F J Lindley of Sudbury, who built a number of other war memorials in the Suffolk area, several of which are listed. The memorial was unveiled on Saturday 3 April 1920 by Brigadier-General S E Massy-Lloyd and the dedication was undertaken by the Rector, Canon E Hill. It commemorates the 26 men from the parish who died in the First World War.

The names of the five parishioners who fell during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial. This includes one woman, Grace Tolhurst, who was in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and who died on 30 November 1943.

Contemporary accounts indicate that the memorial was originally enclosed by an iron balustrade.

Reasons for Listing

Cockfield War Memorial, which is situated at the junction of Church Lane and Howe Lane, 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 has made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* a well-executed wheel-head cross memorial.

Group value:

* with the Grade II-listed Six Bells.

External Links

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