War memorial at St Mary's Church, Wavertree
Churchyard of the Church of St Mary, South Drive, Wavertree, Liverpool, L15 8JJ
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1434484
- Date first listed:
- 20-Apr-2016
- List Entry Name:
- War memorial at St Mary's Church, Wavertree
- Statutory Address:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Mary, South Drive, Wavertree, Liverpool, L15 8JJ
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1434484
- Date first listed:
- 20-Apr-2016
- List Entry Name:
- War memorial at St Mary's Church, Wavertree
- Statutory Address 1:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Mary, South Drive, Wavertree, Liverpool, L15 8JJ
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:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Mary, South Drive, Wavertree, Liverpool, L15 8JJ
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Liverpool (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SJ3894789712
Summary
First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
The war memorial at St Mary’s Church, Wavertree, which stands in the churchyard, 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 conflicts of the C20;
* Group value: with the Grade II-listed Church of St Mary.
History
The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. One such memorial was raised at St Mary’s Church, Sandown Park, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 83 members of the local community, who lost their lives in the First World War.
The church of St Mary in Sandown Park was destroyed in November 1940 by German bombing. In December 1952 the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Wavertree (some 400m to the south), was purchased by the Church of England, and converted into the present day St Mary’s. The First World War memorial in the former church grounds was moved to the new site. Additions were made to commemorate the fallen of the Second World War.
Details
The tall stone memorial is located to the east side of the church of St Mary (Grade II) near the South Drive road entrance. It stands on a small, hexagonal area of gravel delineated by a stone kerb, standing in front of the blocked doorway in the church’s east wall.
The memorial has a triangular base, bearing a stone plaque dedicated to the memory of the members of the parish who died during the Second World War, facing east. The inscription reads ALSO/ IN MEMORY OF MEMBERS OF THIS/ PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN/ THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939- 1945.
The base is surmounted by a triangular plinth. On each side of this plinth there is a rectangular stone plaque commemorating those who died in the First World War:
(east face) THESE DIED FOR/ THEIR COUNTRY/ 1914 – 1919
(north-west face) THEY COUNTED NOT/ THEIR LIVES DEAR/ UNTO THEMSELVES
(south-west face) THEY WERE A WALL/ UNTO US BOTH BY/ NIGHT AND BY DAY
A tall, slim, triangular pedestal rises from the plinth, with scrolled feet to each corner. On each side of the pedestal stone plaques bear the names of the fallen. The pedestal is capped with a shallow cornice on which there are three small scrolls carved in relief. Rising from the cornice is a hexagonal, tapering column. The top of the column is finished with a simple hexagonal collar.
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, 27 January 2017.
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 07/03/2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/15757
The Church of St Mary, Wavertree, accessed 07/03/2016 from http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Liverpool/Wavertree/stmary/index.html
War Memorials Online, accessed 27 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/231018
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 23:53:06.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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