Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1919.
Description
First World War memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1919.
MATERIALS: of granite.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in a prominent position on a large, sloping bank at the entrance to the Church St Andrew (listed Grade II*), around 15m to the north-west of the north porch.
The memorial, which stands some 2.5m high, comprises a Celtic wheel-head cross set atop a shaft which tapers in rectangular section from a roughly-hewn trapezoidal plinth. The west (front) face of the wheel-head is decorated with interlaced ornamentation in low relief while the polished cross shaft has three blind panels raised in low relief. On the north, south and west sides of the plinth are polished, recessed panels which hold the lead inscriptions. The west (front) face contains the principal dedicatory inscription which reads 'ERECTED IN TOKEN OF / GRATITUDE TO GOD / FOR VICTORY AND TO THE / HONOUR OF THE MEN OF / EAKRING WHO SERVED / IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914-1918' and the names of the 12 men who died. On the north face are the names of five men who were wounded and eight men who served, while the south face contains the names of a further 27 men who served.
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 Eakring as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 12 men of the parish who died during the conflict along with the five who were wounded and the 27 men who served and returned. It was unveiled and dedicated in May 1919 in the grounds of the Church of St Andrew (listed Grade II*).
As Eakring suffered no losses of life during the Second World War the memorial stands unaltered.
Reasons for Listing
Eakring War Memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1919, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifice it made in the First World War.
Architectural interest:
* as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial which takes the form of a Celtic wheel-head cross and survives unaltered.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Andrew (listed Grade II*).
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
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)