War Memorial, Hungarton

Summary

Hungarton War Memorial

Reasons for Designation

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION

The war memorial at Hungarton, unveiled on 19 November 1921, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Historic interest: it has special historic interest in commemorating those members of the community who died in the First and Second World Wars;

* Architectural interest: it is a well-crafted, imposing monument in a crucifix form, demonstrating a skilful handling of Clipsham stone.

* Group Value: it has strong group value with the Grade II* listed St John Baptists Church, as well as the adjacent Old Rectory, Sycamore Cottage and the Old Farmhouse, all of which are listed at Grade II.

History

The concept of commemorating war dead did not develop to any great extent until towards the end of the 19th century. Prior to then memorials were rare and were mainly dedicated to individual officers, or sometimes regiments. The first large-scale erection of war memorials dedicated to the ordinary soldier followed the Second Boer War of 1899-1902, which was the first major war following reforms to the British Army which led to regiments being recruited from local
communities and with volunteer soldiers. However, it was the aftermath of the First World War that 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.

The Hungarton war memorial was commissioned by parishioners, and unveiled on 19 November 1921 by George Warrington, an ex-serviceman of the village. A dedication was performed by the Venerable F B Macnutt, Archdeacon of Leicester. The memorial has recently been sensitively and subtly restored, supported by a grant from the War Memorials Trust.

Details

Hungarton war memorial was unveiled on 19 November 1921.

Materials and Plan
Constructed in Clipsham stone, the memorial has a rectangular base which stands on an elevated bank, within a hedged enclosure, and with two steep stairways leading up to it.

Exterior
The two tiered base is surmounted by a two-tiered pedestal, shaft and calvary. The figure of Christ is depicted with a crown of thorns and a nimbus. The front face reads 'GREATER LOVE/HATH NO MAN/ THAN THIS/ IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WARS/ 1914-1918 AND 1939-1945. This is followed by the names of the five men who lost their lives in the WWI and the four who lost their lives in WWII.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 19 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 19 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/37821
War Memorials Online, accessed 19 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/86617

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