Summary
First World War memorial, with later additions.
Description
First World War memorial, with later additions.
MATERIALS: granite.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in the churchyard, to the south of the Church of St Mary Magdalene (Grade II*). The memorial comprises a rough-hewn granite monolith on a three-stepped base with a smooth surface to the front for the inscription.
The main inscription in leaded lettering reads TO THE GLORIOUS DEAD/ AND IN/ GALLANT MEMORY/ OF/ (4 NAMES)/ 1914 TO 1918.
A further inscription on a small rectangular granite plaque at the foot of the monolith reads (NAME)/ N. IRELAND 1978.
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 Sternfield 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 name of one parishioner who died during the conflict in Northern Ireland was subsequently added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Sternfield War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary Magdalene, 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 simple yet evocative example of a monolithic war memorial.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Mary Magdalene (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
Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)