Summary
A First World War memorial with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
First World War memorial cross, erected around 1920.
MATERIALS: stone with rough-cast concrete base.
DESCRIPTION: Ufton Nervet War Memorial is located in the south-east corner of the now redundant Church of St Peter. It takes the form of a Latin cross atop an octagonal plinth and three-stepped base. The three western faces of the plinth bear the carved inscription ‘TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND/ THE PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY/ OF OUR MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR KING AND COUNTRY IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919/ THEIR RELATIVES AND FELLOW PARISHIONERS/ DEDICATE THIS CROSS’. The names of eight First World War fallen are incised into the top step below. The middle step bears the inscription ‘SECOND GREAT WAR 1939 – 1945/ (NAME)/ RIP’. The lower step of the base is of rough-case concrete.
History
The concept of commemorating war dead did not develop to any great extent until towards the end of the C19. Prior to then memorials were rare and were mainly dedicated to individual officers, or sometimes regiments. The first large-scale erection of war memorials dedicated to the ordinary soldier followed the Second Boer War of 1899-1902, which was the first major war following reforms to the British Army which led to regiments being recruited from local communities and with volunteer soldiers. However, it was the aftermath of the First World War that was the great age of memorial building, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Ufton Nervet as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by eight members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. Following the Second World War a further name was added to the memorial to commemorate a serviceman who died in that conflict.
Reasons for Listing
The Ufton Nervet 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 sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* as a well-worked Latin cross with original memorial inscriptions.
Group value:
* with the Grade II-listed Church of St Peter, Ufton Nervet.
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
ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)