Summary

First World War memorial, 1920, with Second World War additions.

Description

First World War memorial, 1920, with Second World War additions.

MATERIALS: Aberdeen granite

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial is prominently sited to face the main road within the churchyard of the Church of St Mary. It takes the form of a wheel-head cross with a central boss and Celtic knot-work in relief to the arms. It has a short, tapering shaft with a tapering panel of intricate knot- work carvings. The cross surmounts a tapering plinth and has a moulded foot for a base. The plinth bears the inscription on an incised granite plaque and reads:

IN MEMORY OF / THE GLORIOUS DEAD / 1914-1918 / [names] / GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS / THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS

The rear of the war memorial records a further loss:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF / A [name] / OBIT 22ND MARCH 1921

The Second World War inscription occupies the left side of the plinth and reads:

IN PROUD / REMEMBRANCE OF / [names] / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR / 1939-1945

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, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Hethersgill as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 12 members of the local community, who lost their lives in the First World War.

The war memorial was erected at a cost of £120 raised by public subscription. It was unveiled within the churchyard of the Church of St Mary on 11 June 1920 by the Reverend D Railton, MC, CF, of Folkestone and dedicated by the local rector. The name of a further serviceman who died of his wounds in 1921 was subsequently added to the memorial. After the Second World War, the names of three fallen of that conflict were added to the memorial.

Reasons for Listing

Hethersgill War Memorial, 1920, 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:

* it is a simple yet dignified memorial in the form of a wheel-head cross with Celtic knot-work carving, executed in Aberdeen granite.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q87488635

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

• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)