Summary
War memorial, erected 1921 to the design of an unknown architect.
Description
War memorial, erected 1921 to the design of an unknown architect.
MATERIALS: Cornish granite with metal lettering.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial takes the form of a plain roughly-hewn cross and base on a stepped rectangular plinth.
The inscription on the East side of the plinth reads: IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO DIED IN THE WAR OF 1914-1919/ (NAMES)/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE/ ERECTED BY THEIR FELLOW PARISHIONERS/
Attached to this side of the monument is a stone plaque which reads: This stone marks the Rededication of/ the Seend War Memorial in its/ 100th Anniversary year/ in the presence of/ HRH The Duchess of Cornwall/ 2 December 2021
The inscription on the North side of plinth reads: ALSO OF THE FOLLOWING/ WHO DIED AS A RESULT OF ACTIVE SERVICE IN THE WAR OF 1939-1945/ (NAMES)/ "THEY ARE IN PEACE".
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 Seend as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Seend War Memorial is located inside the north entrance of the churchyard of the Church of the Holy Cross (Grade I) in Seend. It was erected in 1921 and dedicated by Lord Methuen to 24 parishioners who died during the First World War. The base of the memorial was later altered to add the name of 7 parishioners who died during the Second World War. In December 2021 Camilla, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, then HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, attended a rededication service to mark the 100th anniversary of the war memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Seend War Memorial, 1921, 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:
* for its retention of original fabric and well-realised design in the form of a Latin cross on a stepped plinth and base;
Group value:
* with the nearby Church of the Holy Cross (Grade I) and associated monuments (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
Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)