Stanton Hill War Memorial

Summary

Stanton Hill war memorial, unveiled in 1920 and dedicated to the fallen of the First World War with later inscriptions added to commemorate those who fell in the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Stanton Hill war memorial, unveiled in August 1920, which stands in the grounds of the Church of All Saints, is listed 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: as a modest yet well-executed memorial cross.

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.

Stanton Hill war memorial was unveiled in August 1920 in memory of the 60 local men who fell in the First World War (1914-18). Following the Second World War (1939-45) the names of eight of the fallen were added in a separate memorial tablet, set at the base of the original. The war memorial is set prominently to the south of the Church of All Saints, built in 1899 as the Chapel of Ease for the neighbouring Church of St Andrew, Skegby (listed Grade II, NHLE 1234873) which is situated around 600 metres to the east, set off Mansfield Road.

Details

Stanton Hill war memorial was unveiled in August 1920. The granite stone monument measures approximately 4 metres in height, is octagonal in plan and takes the form of an encircled cross on a tapered shaft set upon a plinth, base and platform. Beneath the cross, the tapered shaft bears a relief carving of the letters ‘IHS’ (a Greek Christogram symbol of Jesus Christ, in the form of acronym). Each of the eight faces of the octagonal plinth carry inscriptions; the epitaph on the frontal (south) elevation reads: “ERECTED TO THE / MEMORY OF THE / SAILORS AND SOLDIERS / OF STANTON HILL, / WHO LAID DOWN THEIR / LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR, / 1914-19” with the names of 60 local men who fell in the conflict continuing around the plinth. Resting at a slight angle on the base of the south elevation of the plinth is a tablet inscribed with the names of eight of the fallen from the Second World War and a further inscription which reads: “O, VALIANT HEARTS WHO TO YOUR GLORY CAME / THROUGH DUST OF CONFLICT & THROUGH BATTLE FLAME / TRANQUIL YOU LIE, YOUR KNIGHTLY VIRTUE PROVED / YOUR MEMORY HALLOWED IN THE LAND YOU LOVED / 1939-45”. The memorial is located within the grounds of the Church of All Saints on a triangular gravelled plot bordered by flagstone paths. The memorial is positioned symmetrically in line with the church’s south window, facing Fackley Road in the centre of Stanton Hill.


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, 10 August 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 21 September 2015 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/26922
Nottinghamshire County Council Roll of Honour, accessed 21 September 2015 from http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/rollofhonour/WarMemorials/Details/176
Old Notts War Memorial Project, accessed 21 September 2015 from http://www.oldnotts.co.uk/skegby/memorial/stantonhillnames.htm
War Memorials Online, accessed 10 August 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/97270

End of official list entry

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