Fulbourn War Memorial

Summary

War memorial, unveiled in 1920, carved by T.C. Stanbridge, and dedicated to the fallen of the First and Second World Wars, and the Gulf War.

Reasons for Designation

Fulbourn war memorial, unveiled in 1920, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Historical interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20, including the Gulf War;

* Group value: for its strong group value it holds with the lychgate at Church of St Vigor (listed at Grade II*), erected in 1923 in memory of the fallen of the First World War and its proximity to Grade II listed houses at nos. 1, 2 and 5 Ludlow Lane.

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 in the aftermath of the First World War that we saw 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. War memorials thus provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

The Fulbourn war memorial is prominently located on Ludlow Green, at the intersection of Ludlow Lane and Manor Walk in Fulbourn village. Funded by parish donations, the memorial was officially unveiled by the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely in May 1920.

The war memorial stands in close proximity to Grade II listed houses at nos. 1, 2 and 5 Ludlow Lane to the south and west. The war memorial forms a group with a timber and tile lychgate, erected at the nearby Church of St Vigor (Grade II*) in 1923 in memory of the fallen of the First World War. In 2007 the War Memorials Trust issued a grant of £300 towards the conservation and repair of Fulbourn war memorial, which involved the re-painting of the inscriptions in black enamel.

Details

Fulbourn war memorial was erected in 1920, and carved by stonemason Mr T C Stanbridge. Built of Aberdeen granite, the Celtic cross and tapered shaft stand on a stepped, tapered, plinth and rectangular base. The shaft and plinth are inscribed with the dates of conflicts and names of the fallen, and highlighted with black enamel infill. Thirty seven names are listed for the First World War, ten names for the Second World War, and one name for the Gulf War. The memorial is enclosed by a low post and chain fence.

Inscription:
The inscription of the east elevation reads: IN / GRATEFUL / MEMORY / OF THE MEN OF / FULBOURN / WHO FELL / IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914-1919 (NAMES)
The inscription of the west elevation reads: ALSO / IN GRATEFUL / MEMORY / OF THE MEN OF / FULBOURN / WHO FELL / IN WORLD WAR II / 1939-1945 / (NAMES) / ALSO / IN THE / GULF WAR 1991 / (NAME)

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, 16 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
, accessed from http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=465
Roll of Honour, accessed from http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Cambridgeshire/Fulbourn.html
'Fulbourn: Churches', A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 10: Cheveley, Flendish, Staine and Staploe Hundreds (north-eastern Cambridgeshire) (2002), pp. 150-156., accessed from http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=18826
War Memorials Register, accessed 16 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/46531
War Memorials Online, accessed 16 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/78380

End of official list entry

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