Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled 10 October 1920.
Description
First World War memorial, 1920.
DESCRIPTION: North Kyme War Memorial is located in the churchyard to the north-west of the Grade II-listed Church of St Luke. It stands adjacent to the boundary wall within a square enclosure bounded by metal railings.
It is of polished, grey granite and takes the form of an obelisk rising from a tall, four-sided plinth surmounting a two-stepped, chamfered, square base. The plinth has a pedimented cap with a moulded cornice beneath.
The principal inscription and names are to the north-west face of the plinth in leaded lettering. The inscription begins in the pediment of the cap and reads, ERECTED BY/ THE PARISHIONERS IN HONOURED MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES. This is continued directly below to the main body of the plinth, FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1918/ "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS”/ (14 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 North Kyme as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 14 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. Initial proposals included replacing the old Butter Cross with a memorial to the fallen; however, this was turned down in a meeting on 20 December 1919 and following further debate the churchyard was chosen as the location for the memorial. It was unveiled on 10 October 1920 by local landowner, the 14th Earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, Guy Montagu George Finch-Hatton and dedicated by the Vicar, Reverend John Milner and the Wesleyan Minister, Reverend W H Wardle.
Reasons for Listing
North Kyme War Memorial, which is situated in St Luke’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 obelisk memorial.
Group value:
* with the Grade II-listed Church of St Luke.
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
Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
[(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)