Approximate Location Map
Large Map »
Latitude: 52.1148 / 52°6'53"N
Longitude: -2.0073 / 2°0'26"W
OS Eastings: 399593
OS Northings: 246270
OS Grid: SO995462
Mapcode National: GBR 2JQ.9BY
Mapcode Global: VHB0S.534N
Plus Code: 9C4V4X7V+W3
Entry Name: Fladbury Church War Memorial
Listing Date: 28 February 2019
Grade: II
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1462774
Also known as: Fladbury, Hill & Moor, & Throckmorton War Memorial
ID on this website: 101462774
Location: St John the Baptist's Church, Fladbury, Wychavon, Worcestershire, WR10
County: Worcestershire
District: Wychavon
Civil Parish: Fladbury
Built-Up Area: Fladbury
Traditional County: Worcestershire
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Worcestershire
Tagged with: War memorial Memorial cross
A First World War memorial, built 1916, altered after 1918.
A First World War memorial, built 1916, altered after 1918.
MATERIALS
Limestone, bronze.
DESCRIPTION
The memorial stands close to the entrance of the churchyard, to the west of the Church of St John the Baptist (Grade I).
The memorial comprises a plain Latin cross on an octagonal column with elaborately carved capital, on a substantial rectangular plinth and four-stepped square base. The memorial is carved from limestone and the faces of the plinth are decorated with relief-carved quatrefoils.
The main inscription on a bronze plaque on the west face of the plinth reads:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ & IN MEMORY OF THEIR ONLY SON/ JOHN FRANCIS CAPTN/ FIFTH BATTAL ROYAL WARKWICKS/ REGIMENT KILLED IN ACTION IN/ FRANCE JUNE 2 1915 AGED 27/ & I HONOUR TO THOSE OTHERS/ OF THIS PARISH WHO GAVE/ THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR/ THIS CROSS WAS ERECTED BY JOHN HORACE & ETHEL FRANCIS/ and in incised lettering on the stone plinth beneath the plaque: GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS/ THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS
Further inscriptions in incised lettering on the remaining faces of the stone plinth read:
FLADBURY (9 names)/ (4 names) HILL & MOOR (6 names)/ (2 names) THROCKMORTON (3 names)/ WYRE (4 names).
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 Fladbury in Worcestershire, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
This memorial was erected by Mr and Mrs J Francis of The Brooklands, Fladbury, to the memory of their son, Captain John Francis of the 5th Batallion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, who was killed by a sniper in France in June 1915. The memorial was unveiled on Tuesday 20 June 1916 and was dedicated by the Bishop of Worcester.
The names of 14 parishioners from Fladbury, eight parishioners from Hill and Moor, three parishioners from Throckmorton and four parishioners from Wyre who gave their lives in the First World War were subsequently added to the memorial.
Fladbury Church War Memorial, first built in 1916 and altered after 1918, 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 First World War.
Architectural interest:
* as a fine example of a Latin cross type of memorial.
Group value:
* with the Grade I-listed Church of St John the Baptist.
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.
Other nearby listed buildings