Wareside War Memorial

Summary

War memorial, unveiled c1920 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

Wareside war memorial, unveiled c1920, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Historic interest: as a prominent and eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: as a well-executed Latin cross memorial with a set of original carved inscriptions to the plinth.

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.
Wareside war memorial was erected in c1920, in memory of 19 local men who fell in the First World War (1914-18). Following the Second World War (1939-45) the names of two of the fallen from this conflict were added. The memorial is located approximately 30 metres to the south-east of Tavern Cottage, (listed Grade II, NHLE 1089144) and 130 metres south-west of a building known as the Mardocks, which is also listed Grade II (NHLE 1089143).

Details

Wareside war memorial, erected c1920 to commemorate the 19 local men who fell in the First World War with Second World War inscriptions added.

MATERIALS: granite stone with red brick platform and steps.

PLAN: square plan-form with a set of three steps to the north-west.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial, which stands approximately 4 metres in height, takes the form of a carved cross with tapering shaft which stands on a square plinth above a three-stepped base and a brick platform laid in a herringbone pattern. The memorial is approached from the north-west by a bordered set of three low-set brick steps. The semi-circular plot occupied by the memorial is slightly elevated above the surrounding terrain and has views over fields towards the River Ash to the south-east.

The frontal elevation of the plinth is inscribed with the epitaph “TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN HONOUR OF / THE MEN / OF / WARESIDE / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN / THE GREAT WAR / 1914-1918 / THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE”. The flanking elevations of the plinth, to the north-east and south-west, are inscribed with the names of 19 local men who fell in the conflict. The rear (south-east) elevation carries the names of the two men who fell in the Second World War, these set above and beneath a cross pattée motif with a central rose carved in relief. The south-east face inscriptions, along with an epitaph on the frontal upper step of the base which reads “ALSO OF THOSE WHO FELL IN THE WAR / 1939-1945”, were added at some stage after the conflict, the carving here closely following the Roman serif lettering of the original inscriptions. The memorial constitutes a significant landmark along the B1004 road from Ware to Bishop’s Stortford, being prominently positioned at the junction with the road to Reeves Green.

Pursuant to s.1.5A of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act, 1990, the semi-circular planted area surrounding the memorial is not of special architectural or historic interest.

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, 12 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 17 November 2015 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/19772
Flickr, accessed 23 November 2015 from https://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/3068213050/in/photostream/
Herts at War, accessed 23 November 2015 from http://www.hertsatwar.co.uk/wareside
War Memorials Online, accessed 12 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/235272

End of official list entry

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