War memorial outside the Church of All Saints, Four Oaks
Church of All Saints, Belwell Lane, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, B74 4TR
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1433680
- Date first listed:
- 05-Apr-2016
- List Entry Name:
- War memorial outside the Church of All Saints, Four Oaks
- Statutory Address:
- Church of All Saints, Belwell Lane, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, B74 4TR
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1433680
- Date first listed:
- 05-Apr-2016
- List Entry Name:
- War memorial outside the Church of All Saints, Four Oaks
- Statutory Address 1:
- Church of All Saints, Belwell Lane, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, B74 4TR
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Church of All Saints, Belwell Lane, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, B74 4TR
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Birmingham (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Sutton Coldfield
- National Grid Reference:
- SP1090298716
Summary
First World War memorial, 1920.
Reasons for Designation
The war memorial outside the Church of All Saints, Four Oaks, which stands on Belwell Lane, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the First World War;
* Architectural interest: a tall memorial cross by E F Reynolds;
* Group value: with All Saints’ Church (Grade II*).
History
The memorial cross outside the Church of All Saints (Grade II*) on Belwell Lane was designed by E F Reynolds, who also designed the church (1908). Paid for by public subscription, at a cost of £753, it was unveiled by Brigadier General Sir John Barnsley VD DL on 25 September 1920. The memorial commemorates 36 local servicemen who died in the First World War. In 2006, the memorial was restored with £4,000 raised by the congregation and a grant of £2,000 from Birmingham City Council.
Edwin Francis Reynolds (1875-1949) was a Birmingham architect who rose to prominence during the local flowering of the Arts and Crafts movement in the 1890s. He was inspired by W R Lethaby, who designed several houses in the area. Reynolds also produced several Arts and Crafts houses at Four Oaks such as 9 Hartopp Road (Grade II-listed).
Details
The tall sandstone memorial cross stands in front of the church porch, by the roadside. It comprises a Latin cross on top of an octagonal shaft, that stands on a tall plinth and single-stepped base. The four sides of the plinth carry bronze plaques with the inscriptions and commemorated names. The plaque to the front (south) face carried the principal dedicatory inscription and is ornamented with a laurel wreath.
(south face) IN MEMORIAM/ GLORIOUS THEIR FORTUNE/ SPLENDID THEIR FATE/ THEIR TOMB AN ALTAR/ FOR MOURNING./ THEY HAVE REMEMBRANCE/ FOR LAMENTATION/ PRAISE/ 1914 - 1919/ PRO PATRIA
The names are listed with rank and regiment. The memorial stands in an area paved with black bricks and a lighter coloured stone. It is enclosed to the rear by a curved stone wall with a gate allowing access to the church. Two shallow benches are incorporated into the wall, for the placement of floral tributes.
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, 18 January 2017.
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 19/02/2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/17349
The Birmingham Mail, online edition, accessed 19/02/2016 from http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/war-memorial-has-a-facelift-20636
War Memorials Online, accessed 18 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/231054
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 19-Jun-2026 at 16:12:15.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.