Onibury War Memorial

Churchyard of St Michael and All Angels Church, Onibury, Shropshire, SY7 9AW

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Overview

A churchyard First World War memorial of c 1920, with later additions for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1437242
Date first listed:: 13-Sep-2016
List Entry Name:: Onibury War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Churchyard of St Michael and All Angels Church, Onibury, Shropshire, SY7 9AW

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1437242
Date first listed:: 13-Sep-2016
List Entry Name:: Onibury War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Churchyard of St Michael and All Angels Church, Onibury, Shropshire, SY7 9AW

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:: Churchyard of St Michael and All Angels Church, Onibury, Shropshire, SY7 9AW

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

District:: Shropshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Onibury
National Grid Reference:: SO4556579150

Summary

A churchyard First World War memorial of c 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Onibury War Memorial, Shropshire 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, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20; * Architectural interest: as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial, which takes the form of a rough-hewn, Celtic cross on a tapered shaft; * Group value: with the church of St Michael, Onibury (Grade II*).

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. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also 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. One such memorial was raised at Onibury as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The monument appears to date from c 1920, with later additions after the Second World War to commemorate the Fallen from that conflict.

Details

A churchyard First World War memorial of c 1920, added to after 1945.

MATERIALS & PLAN: limestone, ashlar and rough-hewn. The memorial has a Celtic, wheel-head cross and shaft above a strongly tapered base which rises from the ground. The memorial is placed to the south-west of the church on the south side of the path which leads from the lych-gate to the south porch.

The north face of the memorial has a rock-hammered head and shaft of the cross with panels of smooth ashlar. The circle-head is rock-hammered, but standing out in relief from this is an ashlar cross with splayed ends and circular centre. Below this there is a large ashlar panel on the shaft of the cross which is inscribed TO THE / GLORY OF GOD / AND IN GRATEFUL / MEMORY OF / OUR GALLANT HEROES / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / IN DEFENCE OF / THEIR COUNTRY / IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1918. Below this are inscribed the names of the Fallen. The tapered base bears the dates 1939 - 1945 above the names of the Fallen from that conflict. There are blank panels to the flanks of the base and the rest of the memorial is blank.

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, 27 July 2017.

Sources

Books and journals
Francis, Peter , Shropshire War Memorials; Sites of Remembrance, (2013), 130
Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 27 July 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/251937
War Memorials Register, accessed 19 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/13808

Legal

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