Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled in 1920, with Second World War additions.
Description
First World War memorial, unveiled in 1920, with Second World War additions.
A large boulder inscribed with the names of the fallen and placed alongside the memorial cross in 2017 is excluded from the listing.
MATERIALS: of rough-hewn Cornish granite.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial, which stands in a paved and hedged enclosure on the north side of Manningtree Road, takes the form of a Celtic wheel-head cross atop a tall shaft that tapers in rectangular section from a three-stepped octagonal base. Its head is carved with elaborate interlacing.
The First World War dedication is in leaded lettering across three polished faces of the base's second step and reads: THIS CROSS IS ERECTED / TO COMMEMORATE / ALL THOSE WHO / WITH LOYAL HEARTS / LEFT THEIR HOMES / AND WENT FORTH / FROM THIS VILLAGE / TO FACE DEATH / AND ENDURE HARDSHIP / IN A RIGHTEOUS / CAUSE, / 1914-1919.
The south face of the bottom step also bears the Second World War dedication which reads: ALSO THOSE WHO SERVED / 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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Stutton in Suffolk as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 16 members of the local community who fell in the conflict. It was unveiled on 22 May 1920 by Mrs Lorrimer Fison and dedicated by the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
Following the Second World War a dedication was added to commemorate the six parishioners who fell in that conflict.
While the memorial was inscribed with dedicatory inscriptions for both World Wars, it did not, however, record the names of the men who died. The Parish Council rectified this in 2017 by placing a granite boulder inscribed with the men's names adjacent to the memorial. Its polished south face is inscribed with the names of the fallen from the two World Wars and reads: The Men of / STUTTON / who Fell in the Great War / 1914-1919 / [Names] / And in World War Two 1939-1945 / [Names]. Carved poppies at the bottom corners book end a verse from Laurence Binyon's poem 'For The Fallen' which reads: They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old / Age shall not weary them, nor years condemn. / At the going down of the sun and in the morning / WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
Reasons for Listing
Stutton War Memorial, unveiled in 1920, with Second World War additions, 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 an accomplished and well-executed composition comprising a Celtic wheel-head cross of rough-hewn Cornish granite.
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
Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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