Summary
First World War memorial, 1921, with additions for later conflicts.
Description
First World War memorial, 1921, with additions for later conflicts.
MATERIALS: Darley Dale stone.
DESCRIPTION: Langley’s war memorial is located within Langley Memorial Park, Station Road, Langley.
It consists of a Latin cross made of Darley Dale stone on top of an octagonal shaft which rises from a two-stepped octagonal plinth. The plinth is set upon a two-stepped octagonal base.
The front face of the bottom tier of the plinth is incised with the dedication in ornate lettering: THIS MEMORIAL WAS/ ERECTED AND THE/ ADJOINING FIELD/ ACQUIRED IN MEMORY/ OF LANGLEY MEN WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE. The other faces are incised with the names of the fallen from the First World War.
The top section of the plinth is incised with the dedication: IN/ MEMORY OF/ THOSE WHO/ GAVE THEIR/ LIVES IN THE/ SECOND/ WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945. The other faces list the names of the fallen from that conflict and one face reads: IN NORTHERN IRELAND/ (NAME).
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 unveiled at Langley on 30 October 1921 by the Marquis of Lincolnshire and dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Buckingham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community, who lost their lives in the First World War.
It commemorates 88 local servicemen who died during the First World War. In 1999, 25 names were added for the fallen of the Second World War and one name from Northern Ireland.
The memorial was originally in the form of a Lantern cross. However following damage caused by a vehicle in 1980 it was rebuilt as a Latin cross, the shaft and cross head being replaced. In 1999 the memorial was conserved with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust. At this time the memorial was also relocated to Langley Memorial Park.
Reasons for Listing
Langley War Memorial, located in Langley Memorial Park, Slough, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* as a striking and well-executed Darley Dale stone Latin cross.
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
Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)