Summary
A First World War memorial, designed by William Leah of Gloucester, with a sculpted figure by J Swift of Doncaster, unveiled in 1923; altered by the addition of further names after the Second World War.
Description
A First World War memorial, designed by William Leah of Gloucester, with a sculpted figure by J Swift of Doncaster, unveiled in 1923; altered by the addition of further names after the Second World War.
MATERIALS: bronze plaques and sculpture, granite pedestal and Portland stone platform.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial, about 2m high, consists of a high, four-sided pedestal of grey Cornish granite, with stepped, offset corners in a Moderne style, resting on a two-stepped platform of Portland stone. It is surmounted by a bronze figure of First World War infantry soldier, standing easy with rifle and fixed bayonet. The inscriptions, on bronze plaques, read: OUR GLORIOUS DEAD/ 1914 - 1918/ THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY A GRATEFUL PUBLIC/ IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF CINDERFORD AND DISTRICT/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ (NAMES)/ SACRIFICE/ TO THE MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF/ CINDERFORD AND/ DISTRICT WHO FELL/ IN THE/ SECOND GREAT WAR/ 1939 - 1945/ (NAMES)/ REMEMBRANCE TO THE MEMORY OF THE MEN/ OF CINDERFORD AND DISTRICT/ WHO FELL IN OTHER CONFLICTS/ (NAMES).
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 Cinderford as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 19 former pupils of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Cinderford War Memorial was designed by William Leah of Gloucester; the sculptor was J Swift of Doncaster. The cost of the memorial was £800, raised by public subscription. It was unveiled in a ceremony on 17 November 1923 by Field Marshal Sir John French, KP GCB OM GCVO KCMG, later the Earl of Ypres. Prior to the ceremony he inspected over 100 ex-servicemen who paraded to the memorial behind a procession headed by the band of the Royal Gloucester Hussars. He then addressed the crowd stating that the names inscribed on the memorial showed how thoroughly the Forest of Dean answered the call to arms. After the unveiling, the memorial was officially dedicated by the newly-appointed Bishop of Gloucester, Arthur Headlam.
Following the Second World War the names of the men who died in that conflict were added to the memorial, and a further inscription was added to honour soldiers who died in other conflicts in the C20.
Reasons for Listing
Cinderford War Memorial, The Triangle, Cinderford, 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 church’s community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* for its design, a well-executed granite pedestal surmounted by the poignant sculpted figure of a First World War infantry soldier.
External Links
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Recommended Books
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)