Thornhaugh and Wansford War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial designed by Henry Francis Traylen.

Reasons for Designation

Thornhaugh and Wansford war memorial, which stands in the churchyard of St Andrew’s Church, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Historic interest: it is an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;

* Architectural interest: it is a well-detailed tribute to the fallen designed by the prominent local architect H. F. Traylen who is associated with three other listed buildings;

* Group Value: it has group value with the Grade I listed St Andrew’s Church and nearby Grade II listed Old Rectory.

History

The concept of commemorating war dead did not develop to any great extent until towards the end of the C19. 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 memorial in the churchyard of the Grade II listed Church of St Andrew was erected after the First World War to commemorate the lives of the fallen from Thornhaugh and Wansford. It was designed by the architect Henry Francis Traylen (1874-1947), a prolific local architect and advocate of nearby Stamford’s historic buildings. Although he specialised in ecclesiastical work and church restorations, he also designed many secular buildings, war memorials and houses, mainly in Stamford and the surrounding villages. Traylen is associated with three listed buildings: the war memorials in Easton-on-the-Hill and Collyweston in Northamptonshire, and the C14 Church of St Margaret in Waddingworth in Lincolnshire, which he restored in 1913, all listed at Grade II.

The public appeal for the memorial in Thornhaugh was organised by the Revd J. R. H. Duke, the Rector of Thornhaugh cum Wansford; and the work was executed in local stone by the stonemasons Belton and Goddard of Great Casterton. The memorial was dedicated by the Bishop of Peterborough at Evening Prayer on 30 May 1920 before a congregation of over 200 parishioners. There is also a tablet in St Andrew's Church which records the names of those from the parish who lost their life.

Details

First World War memorial designed by Henry Francis Traylen.

MATERIALS: local limestone.

PLAN: the memorial is situated to the south-west of the church.

EXTERIOR: the memorial is in the form of a floriated Latin cross with wheel, each arm finished with a fleur de lys. It is supported by a hexagonal shaft terminating in a hexagonal base with a roll moulding. This stands on a square plinth with chamfered and scrolled corners which itself stands on a two-stepped hexagonal base of roughly dressed coursed stone. The west face of the plinth has the inscription ‘TO THE GLORY OF GOD WHO SAVED OUR COUNTRY IN HER TIME OF PERIL 1914-1918’. The east face has the inscription ‘IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918’.


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
War Memorials Register, accessed 17 June 2015 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/18854
Roll of Honour, accessed 17 June 2015 from http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Northamptonshire/index.html
The Royal British Legion, accessed 17 June 2015 from http://branches.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/stibbington/branch-history/
War Memorials Online, accessed 16 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/194100

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