Summary
A First World War memorial, built 1916.
Description
A First World War memorial, built 1916.
MATERIALS: stone, concrete, timber.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located at the entrance to the former C19 St Mary’s Primary School; the school was superseded by a school built to its east in the C20. The memorial comprises a wooden triptych consisting of a pediment with two doors below, set on a plain base with a shelf at the bottom. This is set into a concrete-lined niche with canted sides and a pointed head, within a purpose-built freestanding stone structure with pitched concrete slabs to its top.
The pediment of the timber triptych is inscribed with the dedication: FOR / GOD, KING & COUNTRY. The top of the central panel is inscribed GREATER LOVE HATH / NO MAN THAN THIS flanking the top of a Latin cross. Below the arms of the cross are the names of the 15 men who fell, flanking the shaft of the cross. The base of the central panel is inscribed with OUR HEROIC DEAD. The flanking panels are inscribed with the names of the 60 local men who served in the First World War and returned, below the heading ROLL / OF HONOUR. All inscriptions on the triptych are in gold painted lettering. The cill of the niche is carved with 1914 LEST WE FORGET 1919, and on a stone keystone-shaped tablet below is carved ERECTED BY / EME / 1916.
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 Credenhill 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, alongside the 60 who served and returned.
Nothing is known about the construction of the memorial; the inscription ERECTED BY / EME / 1916 suggests that it was built before the end of the First World War, and the identity of EME is unknown. It is shown on the 1929 Ordnance Survey map.
Reasons for Listing
Credenhill War Memorial 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:
* for its unusual but interesting design as a shrine.
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
Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
For the Record