War Memorial Seventh Day Adventist Church, University Road

Summary

War memorial in the church yard of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, at the junction of London Road and University Road, Leicester unveiled and dedicated on 14th November 1920.

Reasons for Designation

War memorial in the church yard of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, at the junction of London Road and University Road, Leicester, dedicated in 1920, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Historic interest: it is a poignant reminder of the impact of tragic world events upon an individual community and, thus, has strong cultural and historical significance within both a local and national context;

* Design interest: as an accomplished and well-executed memorial which takes the form of a Lantern cross;

* Group value: with Victoria Road Baptist Church (listed Grade II) and New Walk which is a Grade II registered historic park.

History

The concept of commemorating war dead did not develop to any great extent until towards the end of the 19th century. 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 was originally known as Victoria Road Baptist Church Memorial Cross but Victoria Road later had its name changed to University Road and the church subsequently changed its name to the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The memorial which was unveiled and dedicated on 14th November 1920 attended by local clergy and dignitaries, commemorates the local men who died during the First World War.

Details

The memorial stands in a prominent position in the churchyard of The Seventh Day Adventist Church (listed at Grade II, NHLE 1074025), overlooking the junction between London Road and University Road.

The tall memorial in Clipsham limestone, comprises a circular base surmounted by an octagonal plinth and shaft, and a lantern cross. Each face of the lantern is ornamented with a blind, tri-partite gothic ‘window’ with intricate curved tracery. Carved foliate decoration surmounts the lantern and carved faces, believed to be four Apostles, form the base of it. The tapering octagonal shaft is ornamented on each facet, with regularly spaced carvings, some floral depictions others are faces, possibly more Apostles.

The principal dedicatory inscription in relief on the front of the plinth reads IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF OUR MEN WHO DIED IN THE GREAT WAR, 1919-1914. On another face it reads THEIR NAMES ARE RECORDED WITHIN THE CHURCH. It is documented that an inscription reading WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST was also on the memorial but this is no longer legible.

The memorial stands stands approximately 65m from New Walk a Grade II registered historic landscape (NHLE 1000963).

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, 20 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 2 February 2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/37782
War Memorials Online, accessed 20 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/230997

End of official list entry

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