War Memorial in St Swithun's Churchyard

St Swithun's Church, St Swithun's Road, Hempsted, Gloucester

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Overview

War memorial, early C20, with a later inscription to commemorate those who died during the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1419396
Date first listed:: 16-Apr-2014
List Entry Name:: War Memorial in St Swithun's Churchyard
Statutory Address:: St Swithun's Church, St Swithun's Road, Hempsted, Gloucester

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1419396
Date first listed:: 16-Apr-2014
List Entry Name:: War Memorial in St Swithun's Churchyard
Statutory Address 1:: St Swithun's Church, St Swithun's Road, Hempsted, Gloucester

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:: St Swithun's Church, St Swithun's Road, Hempsted, Gloucester

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

County:: Gloucestershire
District:: Gloucester (District Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SO8139317007

Summary

War memorial, early C20, with a later inscription to commemorate those who died during the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial in the churchyard of St Swithun's Church is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact world events upon an individual community and, thus, has strong cultural and historical significance within both a local and national context; * Architectural interest: as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial which takes the simple form of a wheel-head cross; * Group value: with the listed buildings which form its setting, namely the Grade II* Church of St Swithun and a number of Grade II listed chest tombs.

History

The great age of memorial building was in the aftermath of the First World War. The war memorial in the churchyard of St Swithun's Church, to the south-east of the church, commemorates the sixteen men of this parish and Llanthony who lost their lives in the course of the war. After the Second World War, the names of those who died in that war were added to the memorial.

Details

War memorial, early C20, with a later inscription to commemorate those who died during the Second World War.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial is built of dressed stone. It takes the form of a minimalist wheel-head cross that has shaped arms with domed bosses at the centre and one to each arm, and shows the influence of Celtic crosses. It has a tapering rectangular shaft, a chamfered plinth and a rectangular base. The front (south-east) face of the plinth is inscribed: TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF / THE FOLLOWING MEN FROM THIS PARISH AND LLANTHONY / WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE / IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-18. Listed below are the sixteen men who lost their lives and the legend: "THEN GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS". The south-west face of the plinth is inscribed: 'IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE / OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR US / IN THE WORLD WAR. 1939-1945' and has the names of the men who lost their lives in the Second World War. Below is the inscription: WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 25 July 2017.

Sources

Websites
Hempsted War Memorial, accessed from http://www.glosgen.co.uk/warmem/hempstedwm.htm
War Memorials Online, accessed 25 July 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/158213
War Memorials Register, accessed 25 July 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/72452

Legal

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