Summary
Ramsden War Memorial, a First World War memorial, located at the centre of the village.
Description
First World War memorial, located at the centre of the village, at the junction between Ramsden High Street and Akerman Street, to the north of the Church of St James.
MATERIALS: stone, on a pedestal of rendered brick and rubblestone, with marble panels.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial takes the form of a miniature mausoleum, with a square central block enclosed by round-headed arches springing from Corinthian columns; the design has a Jacobean flavour. From the centre of the roof rises an octagonal obelisk or spire, crowned by a torch finial. A marble panel is set into each face of the central block, bearing the incised names of the dead with the cause of death – ‘KILLED IN ACTION’, 'DIED OF WOUNDS’ or ‘DIED OF FEVER’ – and date of death. The lunette above each panel is carved with a laurel wreath and a banner with lettering. The substantial pedestal is octagonal on plan, rising to a square. The whole is set on a shallow octagonal cement base set with pebbles.
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 both of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided an important focus for grief. One such memorial was raised at Ramsden as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 15 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The designer of the war memorial was Levi Dore, one of two brothers who were local builders and craftsmen. Levi was also the architect of Inglenook, a house of 1907 standing a little to the north of the war memorial, and of a date tablet in the Church of St James in memory of William Buckingham, whose name is included on the village memorial. A C16 or C17 cottage immediately to the south of the war memorial is known as Dore’s Cottage.
Reasons for Listing
Ramsden War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* for its accomplished and unusual design, taking the form of a Classical tomb or mausoleum surmounted by an obelisk or spire;
* the architect, Levi Dore, is of local interest, and is responsible for other known designs in Ramsden, including a listed house of similar date.
Historic interest:
* as a poignant reminder of the tragic impact of world events upon this village community.
Group value:
* with listed buildings at the centre of the village, including A. W. Blomfield’s 1872 Church of St James, which contains a memorial by Levi Dore, with a former Methodist chapel of 1804, with the mid-C18 Royal Oak Public House, with Inglenook; with Dore’s Cottage to the south and the C17 Akeman Cottage to the north, and with Inglenook, a house of 1907 designed by Levi Dore, a little further to the north.
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
Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
For the Record
Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5