Summary
First World War memorial, with later addition for the Second World War.
Description
First World War memorial, with later addition for the Second World War.
DESCRIPTION
The war memorial is situated on the green outside the churchyard of the Church of St Margaret. It comprises a slender, stone wheel-head cross on a collared, octagonal shaft, a rectangular plinth with cornice and moulded base and a deep rusticated square base. The inscription in painted black lettering on the front (south) face of the pedestal reads:
IN MEMORY OF/ THE SEETHING MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 - 1918/ (NAMES)/ LET THOSE WHO COME AFTER THEM/ FORGET NOT THEIR NAMES.
The east face is inscribed:
IN MEMORY OF/ THE MUNDHAM & / SEETHING MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE/ SECOND WORLD/ WAR 1939 - 1945/ (NAMES)/ "WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"
The north face is inscribed:
1914 -1918/ (NAMES)/ REMEMBER THEM.
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 Seething, although it is not known exactly when it was erected. It commemorates five local men who lost their lives during the First World War. A further three names of servicemen who had previously lived locally and died during the war have subsequently been added. Following the Second World War a dedicatory inscription and the names of the four men who died in this conflict were also added.
Reasons for Listing
Seething 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 this community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* as a thoughtfully designed memorial in the form of a wheel-head cross.
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
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)