Summary
A First World War memorial, unveiled 1920; altered after the Second World War.
Description
A First World War memorial, unveiled 1920; altered after the Second World War.
MATERIALS: granite, bronze.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands by a crossroads to the south of the main settlement of Howle Hill.
The memorial comprises a short, roughly-hewn granite cross on a single-stepped base. A Latin cross is carved into the front (south-west) face of the memorial, beneath which is a bronze plaque. A second smaller bronze plaque is attached to the front of the base of the memorial.
The main inscription on the bronze plaque attached to the cross reads: IN HONOUR / OF THE MEN OF HOWLE HILL / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AND THOSE / WHO FOUGHT OVERSEAS IN / THE WAR 1914 – 1919 / THE FALLEN followed by 13 names of those who were lost. Below this is inscribed: THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE / THOSE WHO FOUGHT OVERSEAS followed by an additional 38 names to commemorate those who fought.
An additional inscription on a bronze plaque attached to the base of the memorial reads: 1939 – 1945 followed by the six names of those who fell in the Second World War.
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 750,000 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 Howle Hill, 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 was designed by Alfred William Ursell and unveiled on Sunday 4 July 1920. It was originally located close to the now-redundant Church of St John (1875) in the dispersed village of Howle Hill. Following the Second World War, a dedication was added to commemorate the men who fell in that conflict.
It is unknown why the memorial was moved to its present position. The war memorial was restored in 2016 following a grant from War Memorials Trust.
Reasons for Listing
Howle Hill 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 the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* for its reflection of the rural character of the area, and its carving by a local craftsman.
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
London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
Period Property Manual (New Ed)
[(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]