Stanton Lacy War Memorial

Summary

A churchyard First World War memorial of c 1920, with later additions for the Second World War, which takes the form of a limestone, wheel-head cross.

Reasons for Designation

Stanton Lacy 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 limestone shaft supporting a rough-hewn, Celtic cross;
* Group value: with the church of St Peter (Grade I).

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 Stanton Lacy 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 and was added to after 1945. The separate, bronze plaque celebrating the valour of Able Seaman William Charles Williams VC, was added in 2005.

Details

A churchyard First World War memorial of c 1920, with later additions after 1945 and in 2005.

MATERIALS & PLAN: ashlar and rough-hewn limestone. The monument takes the form of a wheel-head cross with a superimposed sword in relief to its north side, which faces the church. The cross and tapered shaft rise from a tapered plinth which rests on a two-stepped base.

The north face of the monument has the wheel-head in rough-hewn limestone with the cross arms and rectangular shaft in ashlar. To the lower body of the shaft, below the sword in relief, is an inscription infilled with lead lettering which reads: TO / THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN PROUD AND / GRATEFUL MEMORY / OF THE MEN / OF STANTON LACY / WHO IN THE GREAT / WAR WITH GERMANY / 1914 – 1918 / GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR / KING AND COUNTRY. Names of the fallen are listed on the plinth and the riser of the upper step. The flanks and back of the monument are bare, save for the east side of the plinth which bears the dates 1939 – 1945 and the names of the fallen from the Second World War. Set in the gravel surround is a bronze plaque which records the award of a Victoria Cross to a local man. This was placed in 2005 and reads: IN HONOURED MEMORY / ABLE SEAMAN / WILLIAM CHARLES / WILLIAMS V.C . / ROYAL NAVY / WHO GAINED HIS COUNTRY’S / HIGHEST AWARD FOR VALOUR ON / 25TH APRIL 1915 AT GALLIPOLI / BORN IN STANTON LACY / 15TH SEPTEMBER 1880.

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, 23 November 2017.

Sources

Books and journals
Francis, Peter, Shropshire War Memorials; Sites of Remembrance, (2013), 116

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 16 June 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/72660
War Memorials Online, accessed 23 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/253623

End of official list entry

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