War Memorial in the Grounds of the Church of St John the Baptist

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial to the east of the Church of St John the Baptist, Berkswell, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural: the memorial is a strong composition designed by Sir Charles Nicholson, one of the foremost church architects of the time. Its design is unusual for an Anglican war memorial and is well executed
* Intact state: the memorial appears to have suffered no loss or alteration
* Historic interest: a permanent testament to the sacrifice of The Fallen in the First World War
* Group value: with The Church St John the Baptist (Grade I) and the Cross Base (SAM 30026 01)

Details

BERKSWELL

732/0/10050 CHURCH LANE 08-MAR-11 War Memorial in the grounds of the Chu rch of St John the Baptist

GV II A war memorial, commemorating the dead of both world wars. Designed by Sir Charles Nicholson, the mason was D French and the monument was dedicated in 1920. It is sited to the eastern end of the graveyard of the church of St John the Baptist, Berkswell. The walls are of red sandstone and the building takes the form of an open shrine with an altar shelf to the eastern interior wall. The building is square on plan with chamfered corners.

EXTERIOR: a plinth, which dies back by an offset, girds the building, and there is a battlemented parapet to the top of the building. The corners die back to square piers which rise above the roof and have brattished cresting. The eastern wall is blank, but the other three walls have doorways with tracery surrounds, above which is a heavy hood mould which links the fronts. Above the doors are inscribed words; 'IN MEMORIAM 1914.1918' on the north front, with a laurel wreath in relief above; 'SO GOD LOVED THE WORLD THAT' on the west front with a crowned rose above and 'HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON' on the south side, with the initials 'I.M' and the dates 1914-1918 above. A paved platform surrounds the building.

INTERIOR: the space is groin vaulted with chamfered ribs. The altar shelf to the eastern wall is backed by two niches with ogee heads which hold kneeling, devotional figures in high relief of St George at left and St Nicholas at right. Between them is the figure of Christ on the cross. The names of the fallen from the First World War are grouped by the year of their death and inscribed on the corner piers .The fallen from the Second World War are grouped under a single heading.

HISTORY: The memorial was designed by Sir Charles Nicholson and was unveiled by Lord Methuen and dedicated by Canon Black in a ceremony in 1920. Sir Charles Nicholson was one of the foremost church architects of the earliest years of the C20. He was articled to John Dando Sedding and worked in partnership with Henry Wilson and his work includes the restoration of the towers at Lincoln Cathedral from 1921-2 and the Church of St Paul, Yelverton, Devon of 1910-14 (Grade II).

SOURCES: Victoria County History, 'Parishes: Berkswell', A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 4: Hemlingford Hundred, (1947) 27-34. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42650 Date accessed: 01 February 2011 UK National Inventory of War Memorials: http://www.ukniwm.org.uk/server/show/conMemorial.17392.fromUkniwmSearch/1. Date accessed: 02 February 2011

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The war memorial to the east of the Church of St John the Baptist, Berkswell, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Architectural: the memorial is a strong composition, designed by Sir Charles Nicholson, one of the foremost church architects of the time. Its design is unusual for an Anglican war memorial and is well executed * Intact state: the memorial appears to have suffered no loss or alteration * Historic interest: a permanent testament to the sacrifice of The Fallen in the First World War * Group value: with The Church St John the Baptist (Grade I) and the Cross Base (SAM 30026 01)

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

511867

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 2 February 2011 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/17392
War Memorials Online, accessed 17 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/106546

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