Summary
A war memorial erected in 1919 in the village of Layham, Suffolk.
Description
A war memorial erected in 1919 in the churchyard of the Church of St Andrew, Layham in Suffolk.
MATERIALS: the memorial is formed of pale grey granite, the body of the memorial smooth-faced, whilst the lower steps of the base are rock-faced.
DETAILS: the memorial stands in a prominent position at the centre of the village burial ground, on the opposite side of the road to the Church of St Andrew (listed at Grade II).
It comprises a wheel cross and tapered shaft set on a deep tapered plinth standing on a three-stepped base.
The main inscription on the east face of the plinth reads: TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND TO THE MEMORY OF/ THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ AND IN COMMEMORATION/ OF THE SERVICES OF THE/ MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO FOUGHT IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918. The names of the fallen are on the north and south faces of the plinth. A further inscription on the west face of the plinth reads: 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES).
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 Layham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was unveiled and dedicated on Thursday 4 December 1919 by the Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
The names of those parishioners who fell during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Layham War Memorial, erected in 1919 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:
* as an imposing example of a wheel-cross type of war memorial.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Andrew (listed at Grade II).
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
Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)