Broomfield War Memorial

Summary

War memorial, erected in circa 1920.

Reasons for Designation

Broomfield War Memorial 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 First World War;
* Architectural interest: an accomplished and well-realised war memorial which takes the form of a Celtic-style wheel cross;
* Degree of survival: the memorial is situated in its original location and survives intact;
* Group value: it has group value with the Grade I Church of St Mary and All Saints.

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, 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.

One such memorial was raised at Broomfield as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

It is not known exactly when the Broomfield War Memorial was erected and commemorated, but it was likely to be during the 1920s.

Details

War memorial, erected in circa 1920.

MATERIALS: constructed of roughly-hewn granite.

DESCRIPTION: located to the south of the Church of St Mary and All Saints (Grade I), the war memorial stands on a rectangular platform and comprises a Celtic-style wheel cross surmounted on a rectangular pedestal with rounded corners. On the west face of the pedestal is an inscription in raised lettering that reads:

IN / HONOURED MEMORY OF THE / MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO GAVE / THEIR LIVES FOR GOD AND THEIR COUNTRY / DURING THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918 / (NAMES)

The inscription records the six men of the parish who died during the First World War.

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, 23 November 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 5 July 2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/30023
War Memorials Online, accessed 23 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/255059

Other
War memorial, Churchyard of All Saints Church, Broomfield, Somerset Historic Environment Record 17647

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