Summary
A First World War memorial dating to around 1920.
Description
A First World War memorial dating to around 1920.
MATERIALS: the memorial is constructed of limestone.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is a 3m tall elongated Latin cross on a tapered four-sided plinth. It stands on a square base. On the east face of the cross is a relief-carved sword. An inscription on the east side of the plinth reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN HONOURED MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE/ 1914 GREAT WAR 1918/ (6 NAMES)/ GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS
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 Swilland as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the six members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The memorial is prominently located east of the Grade II*-listed Church of St Mary, just north of the path through the main gate on Church Lane. A stone plaque commemorating the two parishioners who fell in service during the Second World War is mounted on the northern gatepost. The memorial was built at a cost of £41 10s and was unveiled on Sunday 25 September 1921. The design is a slightly simplified version of the 1918 Imperial (later Commonwealth) War Graves Commission’s Cross of Sacrifice.
Reasons for Listing
Swilland War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a good example of a stone Latin cross with relief-carved decoration.
Historic interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Group value:
* with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Mary.
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
London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)