War Memorial in the church forecourt

Church of St John the Baptist, Bath Street, Frome

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

A First World War memorial, dating from 1920. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1436594
Date first listed:: 09-Aug-2016
List Entry Name:: War Memorial in the church forecourt
Statutory Address:: Church of St John the Baptist, Bath Street, Frome

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1436594
Date first listed:: 09-Aug-2016
List Entry Name:: War Memorial in the church forecourt
Location Description:
Statutory Address 1:: Church of St John the Baptist, Bath Street, Frome

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: Church of St John the Baptist, Bath Street, Frome

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: Somerset (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Frome
National Grid Reference:: ST7766847909

Summary

A First World War memorial, dating from 1920.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial in the forecourt to the Church of St John the Baptist, Frome is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Design interest: it is an accomplished and well-proportioned memorial in the form of a Calvary; * Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20; * Group value: with the Grade II* listed Church of St John the Baptist which forms its backdrop.

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 erected in the forecourt of St John the Baptist’s Church and was unveiled and dedicated on 24 June 1920. The figure of Christ on the memorial is attributed to a local mason.

A war shrine in the form of a carved, wooden triptych was also erected in the churchyard in 1917, but this is no longer extant.

Details

A First World War memorial, dating from 1920.

MATERIALS: it is carved from blue Pennant stone.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial has an octagonal plan and is in the form of a stone Calvary cross. It has a sculpted figure of Christ beneath a gabled weatherhood and is surmounted by a foliated finial. The tall shaft is set into an octagonal plinth, on a semi-circular, two-stepped base of blue Pennant stone. The faces of the plinth have sunken and foliated panels that are each carved with one of the emblems or instruments of the Passion. The three front (south-east) panels are also inscribed, in inscribed lettering: TO THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: there is a dwarf wall along the rear curve of the platform, and to the front there were originally metal railings that have since been removed.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 14 December 2016.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 14/12/2016 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/220373
War Memorials Register, accessed 14/12/2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/1368
Other
St John the Baptist War Memorial, Restoration Project, July 2014, Chedburn Dudley, Chartered Architects

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

The listed building(s) is/are shown coloured blue on the attached map. Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’), structures attached to or within the curtilage of the listed building (save those coloured blue on the map) are not to be treated as part of the listed building for the purposes of the Act.