Summary
First and Second World War memorial. Erected 1919 to the design of Frederick Maltby, with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.
Reasons for Designation
Stratton war memorial, erected in 1919 on the south side of Dorchester Road, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as 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;
* Design: an elegant Latin stone cross carved in Portland stone ashlar with a longsword in raised relief and a wreath upon the crossarm. It is derived from the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield’s ‘Cross of Sacrifice’ for the Imperial War Graves Commission;
* Group value: with the Grade I listed church of St Mary and Grade II* churchyard cross.
History
The aftermath of the First World War saw a huge wave of public commemoration with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country. One such memorial was erected in 1919 to commemorate 10 residents of Stratton who died during the conflict. It was funded by public subscriptions from over 180 parishioners. The design for the memorial was broadly based on the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield’s ‘Cross of Sacrifice’ for the Imperial War Graves Commission, except that it includes a wreath around the crossarm. Variations on Blomfield’s design appeared in stone masons catalogues and were chosen for local war memorials across England. A contemporary account records that Stratton War Memorial was erected by the Purbeck Stone Companies from drawings prepared by Frederick Maltby, Architect Surveyor to Dorchester Rural District Council. Maltby later designed the drill hall of the Marabout Barracks (now called the Territorial Army Centre), Dorchester, in 1923.
Details
First and Second World War memorial. Erected 1919 to the design of Frederick Maltby, with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.
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