Summary
A First World War memorial, dedicated in 1920, with further names added after the Second World War.
Description
A First World War memorial, dedicated in 1920, with further names added after the Second World War.
MATERIALS: stone and concrete.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is situated in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary, to the west of the tower. It is a tall Celtic wheel cross on a tapering base raised on two stone steps set on a concrete foundation pad. The east and west faces of the cross are covered in carving.
The west face lower panel features six bosses with intertwined serpents, above which are four figure-scenes: a group of four figures, seated musicians, Abraham's sacrifice and Daniel between two lions. The centre of the cross features a roundel of the seated Virgin and Child with leonine beasts in the side arms and three pairs of back-to-back leonine beasts with intertwined tails in the top arm. The face of the cross ring is undecorated.
The lower part of the east face features three roundels of snake-and-boss ornament above which are seven interlaced bosses with snakes issuing from and intertwined around them. The largest of these bosses is also one of five high-relief bosses symmetrically placed in the cross head. That at the centre of the cross is set in a ring of nine small bosses linked by spirals. In the side-arms each boss is linked by snakes while that in the top arm lies between two pairs of leonine beasts. The face of the cross ring is decorated with knitted interlace.
A dedication on the east side of the base reads: ‘TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN NEVER DYING MEMORY/ OF THOSE DULLINGHAM SOLDIERS/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR OF 1914 – 19’. Below this is a quotation: ‘THAT WE BEING DELIVERED OUT OF THE/ HAND OF OUR ENEMIES MIGHT SERVE HIM/ WITHOUT FEAR ALL THE DAYS OF OUR LIFE’. The names of the fallen of the First World War are inscribed on the north and south sides and of the Second World War on the west.
History
The aftermath of the First World War 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.
This memorial was dedicated on 6 April 1920. The architect and sculptor responsible are not known. It commemorates 22 individuals from the parish of Dullingham; 19 names from the First World War and 3 from the Second. The decoration on the memorial replicates that found on the C8 St Martin’s cross on the Isle of Iona. It is a fairly accurate copy although the west face bosses are more decorated and the intertwined snakes simplified while on the east face the central roundel appears to feature an ox and ass in place of the angels in the original. A quotation from the Bible (Luke, chapter 1 verse 74) is inscribed on the base.
Reasons for Listing
Dullingham 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 sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* as a good example of memorial design incorporating extensive detail replicated from a specific ancient Celtic wheeled stone cross.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Mary (Grade I).
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
Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
England's Post-War Listed Buildings
Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)