Summary
First World War memorial, completed in 1921 to the designs of F J Lindley, with later inscriptions added to commemorate the fallen from the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Clare War Memorial, which stands on Market Hill in the centre of Clare, was unveiled in October 1921, and 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 of Clare, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: as a well-executed cross memorial with a set of original carved inscriptions and coats of arms to the plinth;
* Group value: for the strong group value it holds with the range of listed historic buildings which enclose the market square, all of which are located within the Clare Conservation Area.
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.
Clare war memorial was erected in memory of the 32 local men who fell during the First World War (1914-18). It was built to the designs of the Suffolk stonemason F J Lindley, who later worked under the name F. J. Lindley & Company, Monumental Masons (from 1931 to 1951) in Sudbury, Suffolk. The memorial was dedicated by Canon W T Farmiloe on 23 October 1921 at an unveiling ceremony attended by the Liberal politician Col Sir T Coutenay Warner (who held the title Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk and Baronet of Brettenham Park, Suffolk). Following the Second World War the names of the five of the fallen from the conflict were added to the monument and, in February 1948, a ceremony was held to rededicate the memorial. In 2011, following a successful funding application to the Grants for War Memorials Scheme, repair and conservation work was undertaken.
Details
Clare war memorial, completed in 1921 to the designs of F J Lindley.
MATERIALS: Clipsham limestone with knapped flint detailing.
PLAN: octagonal stepped platform with a chamfered square plinth.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial takes the form of a finely carved wheel cross on a tapered shaft set above a square plinth and a four-stepped octagonal platform enclosed within an *iron railing fence. At the collar of the tapered shaft, beneath the cross, there is a carved crown detail. The first step of the platform carries a dedication inscription in large Gothic lettering which is marked out by black knapped and galleted flint. The three upper steps are inscribed with the names of the fallen men, along with the '1914-1918' dates of the conflict. The plinth above the platform passes from an octagonal to a chamfered square plan, each of the four faces here decorated with a different coat of arms, these representing Clare, the Suffolk Regiment, St Edmund and St George. The memorial stands in a prominent position in the centre of Clare's historic Market Square.
* the iron railings surrounding the war memorial are excluded from the listing.
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, 13 January 2017.
