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Latitude: 50.3485 / 50°20'54"N
Longitude: -4.0004 / 4°0'1"W
OS Eastings: 257774
OS Northings: 51750
OS Grid: SX577517
Mapcode National: GBR Q3.8J7D
Mapcode Global: FRA 28H3.Z6R
Plus Code: 9C2Q8XXX+9R
Entry Name: Yealmpton War Memorial
Listing Date: 28 September 2018
Grade: II
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1459658
ID on this website: 101459658
Location: Yealmpton, South Hams, Devon, PL8
County: Devon
District: South Hams
Civil Parish: Yealmpton
Built-Up Area: Yealmpton
Traditional County: Devon
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Devon
Tagged with: War memorial
First World War memorial, 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.
First World War memorial, 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.
MATERIALS: Cornish granite.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in a prominent roadside location at the northern edge of St Bartholomew's churchyard, fronting onto Fore Street. Part of the churchyard wall has been removed to create a three-sided, stone walled, open-fronted, paved enclosure in which the memorial stands.
The memorial comprises a simple wheel-head cross of Cornish granite set atop a tapering plinth and a three-stepped base.
The main inscription is in leaded lettering on the front (northern) face of the plinth and reads: TO THE HONOURED MEMORY OF THE/ MEN OF THE PARISH WHO LAID DOWN/ THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR KING AND COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918/ (18 NAMES IN TWO COLUMNS).
The front face of the upper step of the base bears the additional inscription: ALSO IN THE WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945/ (11 NAMES IN THREE COLUMNS).
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 Yealmpton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 18 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was unveiled on 17 July 1921 by Charles Williams MP and dedicated by the Reverend N N Lewarne.
The names of the 11 parishioners who fell during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.
Yealmpton War Memorial, which stands on Fore Street, 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 and elegant example of a wheel-head cross in Cornish granite standing in its enclosure.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Bartholomew (Grade II*).
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