Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled on 27 June 1920.
Description
First World War memorial, 1920.
DESCRIPTION: Hambleton War Memorial is located in the churchyard to the east of the Grade II*-listed Church of St Andrew; it is also in close proximity to the Grade II-listed buildings the Old Priests House and Post Office Cottages.
It is of Clipsham stone and takes the form of a pointed Latin cross, which crowns a tall, tapering four-sided shaft with a moulded square collar. The shaft rises from a four-sided, plinth with chamfered top and rounded corner edges. This surmounts a two-stepped, square base on a narrow stone foundation.
The plinth carries the inscriptions and names in incised lettering, painted black. The west face of the plinth reads, THE GLORIOUS DEAD/ 1914-1918/ R.I.P. A further inscription is to the north face, which reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF THE MEN/ FROM HAMBLETON WHO FIGHTING/ FOR THEIR KING AND COUNTRY IN/ THE WAR FOR THE WORLDS/ FREEDOM, PASSED THROUGH THE/ VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH/ AND REACHED THE LIFE BEYOND/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE. The names of the eight men who died in the First World War are recorded on the east face.
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 Hambleton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The move to build a memorial was first discussed at a public meeting on 22 May 1919 and was carried through within a year; the faculty was granted for its erection on 10 April 1920. It was made by Mr George Draycott, stonemason of Oakham, and cost about £73, which was paid for by public subscription. The memorial was unveiled on 27 June 1920 by Major-General Lord Ranksborough, and commemorates eight local servicemen who fell in the First World War.
Reasons for Listing
Hambleton War Memorial, which is situated in St Andrew’s 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 First World War.
Architectural interest:
* a well-executed Latin cross memorial.
Group value:
* with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Andrew and the Grade II-listed buildings the Old Priests House and Post Office Cottages.
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
Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
Period Property Manual (New Ed)
Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)