Summary
A First World War memorial erected in 1920 or 1921.
Description
A First World War memorial erected in 1920 or 1921.
MATERIALS: Horton stone.
DESCRIPTION: located at the junction of the B5067 and the road to the neighbouring village of Fitz. It consists of a stone Latin cross, bearing a metal sword of sacrifice. The cross rises from an octagonal plinth on a three-stepped base. Each face of the plinth is recessed and carries an inscription in incised lettering.
The main inscription reads: TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ IN PROUD MEMORY/ OF ELEVEN MEN/ OF LEATON/ WHO GAVE THEIR/ LIVES FOR/ THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918./ THEIR NAME LIVETH/ FOR EVERMORE. The east and south faces record the names of the fallen under the heading KILLED IN ACTION/ OR DIED. The remaining faces list the names of the servicemen who returned from the conflict.
The war memorial stands on a gravelled area at the corner of the road junction with a curved dwarf stone wall to the rear. A modern metal crash barrier protects the memorial from road traffic.
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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Leaton Heath to the north-east of Shrewsbury as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 11 local men who lost their lives in the First World War, and to also commemorate all of those from this community who served in the conflict.
The memorial was made by Mr GL Harding at a cost of around £200. It was built to the Cross of Sacrifice design which was devised in 1919 by Sir Reginald Blomfield (1856-1942) for war cemeteries abroad, although it was also widely adopted in Britain. The memorial was unveiled in 1920 or 1921 by Brigadier General VJ Campbell, VC, CMG, DSO and dedicated by the Archdeacon of Shrewsbury. A few years later, four girls were charged with damaging the memorial by carving their initials into it. The memorial was cleaned and the inscriptions re-cut in 2007.
Reasons for Listing
Leaton War Memorial 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 sacrifice it made in the First World War.
Architectural interest:
* a well-executed Latin cross with a sword of sacrifice, loosely derived from the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield’s ‘Cross of Sacrifice’ for the Imperial (now Commonwealth) War Graves Commission.
External Links
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Recommended Books
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
For the Record
Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)