Birstall War Memorial

War memorial in the churchyard of the Church of St James the Great, Front Street, Birstall, Leicestershire

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Overview

War memorial designed by Howard Henry Thomson and unveiled in 1921. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1410088
Date first listed:: 26-Oct-2012
List Entry Name:: Birstall War Memorial
Statutory Address:: War memorial in the churchyard of the Church of St James the Great, Front Street, Birstall, Leicestershire

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1410088
Date first listed:: 26-Oct-2012
List Entry Name:: Birstall War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: War memorial in the churchyard of the Church of St James the Great, Front Street, Birstall, Leicestershire

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: War memorial in the churchyard of the Church of St James the Great, Front Street, Birstall, Leicestershire

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Leicestershire
District:: Charnwood (District Authority)
Parish:: Birstall
National Grid Reference:: SK5968708866

Summary

War memorial designed by Howard Henry Thomson and unveiled in 1921.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial, designed by Howard Henry Thomson and unveiled in 1921, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Historic interest: it has special historic interest commemorating those members of the community who died in the First and Second World Wars; * Architectural interest: the standard cross design has been enriched with cable moulding along the edges of the shaft and a carved sword of sacrifice on the east side; * Group value: it has strong group value with the Grade II listed Church of St James the Great.

History

The war memorial was dedicated by the Venerable Archdeacon F. B. MacNutt and unveiled by Major General Sir A. R. Hoskins on 5 March 1921. The names of the fallen from the Second World War were later added. The memorial was designed by Howard Henry Thomson (1865-1922). Little is known of him except that he practised in Leicester and won the competition with Stockdale Harrison for Usher Hall, Edinburgh, c1910. Thomson does not have any listed buildings to his name.

Details

MATERIALS: Ashlar stone and slate plaque.

PLAN: the memorial is located to the east of the church at the edge of the churchyard.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is set on a square-shaped base with two shallow steps and one lower, segmental-shaped step, on the west side. It has a square plinth which supports the four-sided, tapered shaft, enriched along each edge with cable moulding, and surmounted by a plain square capital and wheel-head cross. Attached to the east side of the shaft is a stone carved sword of sacrifice. The plinth has slate memorial plaques on three sides with gold inscriptions. On the east side the inscription reads: ‘TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THE MEN OF BIRSTALL WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WARS 1914-1919 1939-1945’. On the west side the names of the fallen from the First World War are inscribed, and on the north side are those from the Second World War.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 10 August 2017.

Sources

Websites
, accessed from http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/
War Memorials Online, accessed 10 August 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/250623
War Memorials Register, accessed 19 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/37801
Other
Illustrated Leicester Chronicle (12 March 1921), pp. 8-9,
Leicester Daily Post (29 April 1920), p. 6,

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.