Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled on 26 December 1920.
Description
First World War memorial, 1920.
DESCRIPTION: Shenton War Memorial is located in a roadside garden area at the corner of Pump Street and Bosworth Road, opposite the Grade II*-listed buildings the Church of St John the Evangelist, Shenton Hall and its Gatehouse.
The memorial is of rough-hewn, grey Cornish granite and takes the form of a tall wheel-head cross rising from a tapering, four-sided plinth. This surmounts a single-stepped concrete base, which has a low semi-circular projection to the south face.
To the south face of the plinth is a smooth, inset panel carrying the inscription and names in incised lettering and reads, TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND THE HONOURED/ MEMORY OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918/ (7 NAMES)/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE. Above the inscription is an incised symbol of a Latin cross.
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 20/04/2018
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 Shenton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the seven members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The land for the memorial was donated by the local landowners, the Wollaston family of Shenton Hall. It is reported that the Squire, Mr F E A Wollaston JP, and his wife assisted with the design and layout of the area surrounding the memorial; their son Frederick Wollaston is one of the seven men named on the memorial. It was unveiled on 26 December 1920 by the Wollaston’s other son Captain H C Wollaston and General A King; the dedication was undertaken by Canon Bowers of Market Bosworth.
Reasons for Listing
Shenton War Memorial, which is situated at the corner of Pump Street and Bosworth Road, 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 First World War.
Architectural interest:
* a well-executed wheel-head cross memorial.
Group value:
* with the Grade II*-listed buildings the Church of St John the Evangelist, Shenton Hall and its Gatehouse.
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
Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
For the Record
Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)