Chudleigh War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, erected in 1926, with a Second World War dedication added in 1948. Not included are the late-C20 railings and late-C20 stone planters.

Reasons for Designation

Chudleigh war memorial, erected in 1926, with a Second World War dedication added in 1948, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of a world events on this community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial which takes the form of a Latin cross;
* Group value: it forms a small group with an early-C19 granite obelisk (Grade II) which stands to the north-east.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. One such memorial was erected in Chudleigh to commemorate the 60 men of the parish who died during the conflict. Although the idea of erecting a memorial was initially raised in 1919, it was not until January 1926 that a meeting was held to discuss its location. Three sites were considered including Kate Brook Hill, the entrance to Chudleigh Cemetery and the memorial triangle in Conduit Square, on which stood an early-C19 granite obelisk (Grade II). Despite the fact that the memorial triangle, which was created as a memorial garden in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria's Jubilee, was seen to be the least favourable spot, it was decided to locate the memorial here as a means of improving this run down area of the town. The war memorial committee chose a simple Latin cross which was constructed from granite by the Teign Valley Granite Company. Bronze plaques were supplied by J Wippell and Company of Exeter. Erected at a cost £165, which was paid for by public subscription, the memorial was unveiled on 9 May 1926 by Colonel G J Ellicombe and dedicated by the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Exeter. The triangular enclosure was encircled by railings shortly after the unveiling, later replaced in the late-C20.

In November 1946 a meeting was held to discuss ways of honouring the 22 men from the parish who lost their lives during the Second World War. Ideas put forward included the placing of seats around the town inscribed with their names, a public baths or a new fire engine. With the cost of the baths and fire engine being prohibitive, it was decided to add a new dedicatory plaque on the north-east side of the war memorial. The plaque was unveiled on 9th May 1948, replacing a tablet with a wreath motif. A second plaque recorded the installation of benches around the parish in memory of the fallen men. A total of £200 was raised through public subscription with the plaque costing £100, the seats £90 while £10 was given towards the cost of a memorial in Exeter Cathedral. By April 1949, a total of 20 seats had been placed around the parish.

In 2014, research revealed that the names of a further 23 men who had died during the First World War had been omitted from the memorial. A new roll of honour plaque was subsequently commissioned by the Chudleigh History Group for display in the town hall.

Details

First World War memorial, erected 1926, with a Second World War dedication added in 1948.

MATERIALS: of granite with bronze plaques and a concrete base.

DETAILS: the memorial is comprised of a single step base on which stands a tall pedestal with a chamfered plinth. At the top of the pedestal is a small Latin cross mounted on a two-stepped base of rock-faced granite. A plaque on the south-west face of the pedestal reads: ‘IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL / REMEMBRANCE OF / THE MEN / FROM CHUDLEIGH / WHO GALLANTLY / SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES / IN THE CAUSE OF / LIBERTY AND HONOUR / IN THE GREAT WAR / R.I.P’. Above, fixed to the base of the cross, is a plaque inscribed: ‘1914-1918’. Plaques on the south-east and north-west sides of the pedestal record the names of the 60 men who died during the First World War. A plaque on the north-east side of the pedestal records the names of the 22 men who died during the Second World War. Above this, fixed to the base of the cross, is a plaque which reads: ‘THE SEATS PLACED AROUND THE PARISH / ARE TO THE MEMORY OF THE MEN OF / CHUDLEIGH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN / THE 1939 - 1945 WAR’.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the war memorial stands within a triangular-shaped enclosure bounded by late-C20 cast-iron railings set on chamfered stone plinths. Within the enclosure are late-C20 planters. These utilitarian items do not contribute to the special interest of the war memorial and are therefore excluded from the listing.

The early-C19 obelisk which stands on the north-east side of the enclosure is listed separately at Grade II (NHLE 1334260).

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, 8 December 2016.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 19/11/2014 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/25820
Information on Chudleigh War Memorial from the Chudleigh History Group, accessed 19 November 2014 from http://www.chudleighhistorygroup.com/war-memorial.html
War Memorials Online, accessed 08/12/2016 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/187935

End of official list entry

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