Summary
First World War memorial commemorating the parishioners of the Church of the Holy Spirit who fought in the war, probably 1920s
Description
First World War memorial commemorating the parishioners of the Church of the Holy Spirit who fought in the war, probably 1920s
MATERIALS: limestone
Beeston Hill War Memorial is located within the churchyard of the Church of the Holy Spirit and is situated beneath the south-west (ritual east) window. It consists of a tall fleuree cross with an octagonal shaft rising from a tapered pedestal with a two-stepped tapered base below. The whole memorial is set upon a square two-stepped plinth, which is also of limestone. Each of the pedestal's faces has a raised shaped panel with scrolled decoration; that to the front (south-west) face incorporates an inscription that reads: 'TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ IN MEMORY OF/ ALL THOSE FROM THIS PARISH/ WHO SERVED IN THE WAR/ 1914 – 1918./ “NOT ONE OF THEM IS/ FORGOTTEN BEFORE GOD." '
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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Beeston Hill (probably in the 1920s) to commemorate the men from the church who had fought in the war. The identity of the sculptor is unknown. The memorial sits within the churchyard of the Church of the Holy Spirit, which closed in 2012.
Reasons for Listing
Beeston Hill war memorial 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:
* it has a distinguished and elegant fleuree cross design.
Group value:
* with the adjacent Church of the Holy Spirit, which is listed at 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.
Recommended Books
Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
For the Record
Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability