Summary
First World War memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions.
Description
First World War memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions.
MATERIAL: rough-hewn Cornish granite.
DESCRIPTION: Holbrook War Memorial stands on a prominent roadside on the east side of Church Hill, at the junction with Hyams Lane, immediately to the west of the Church of All Saints (listed Grade II*).
The memorial comprises a plain Celtic wheel-head cross atop a tall shaft that tapers in rectangular section from a trapezoidal plinth standing on a four-stepped base, the whole standing on a single-stepped concrete foundation stone.
The main dedicatory inscription is in leaded lettering on the polished west face of the plinth and reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN MEMORY OF / THE MEN OF HOLBROOK / WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914–1918 / [Names].
On the plinth's south face is the Second World War dedication which reads: 1939 - 1945 / [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 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 Holbrook in Suffolk as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 24 members of the local community who lost their lives in the conflict. It was unveiled on 20 November 1921 by Brigadier-General EH Rodwell.
Following the Second World War the names of 8 parishioners who fell during that conflict were added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Holbrook War Memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions, 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:
* as a simple but impressive and well executed Celtic wheel-head cross.
Group value:
* with the Church of All Saints (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
A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
England's Post-War Listed Buildings
Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)