War memorial in St Paul's churchyard

St. Pauls Church, St. Pauls Street, Worcester, WR1 2BH

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Overview

War memorial of 1921, designed by G E Sprague. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1437495
Date first listed:: 04-Oct-2016
List Entry Name:: War memorial in St Paul's churchyard
Statutory Address:: St. Pauls Church, St. Pauls Street, Worcester, WR1 2BH

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1437495
Date first listed:: 04-Oct-2016
List Entry Name:: War memorial in St Paul's churchyard
Statutory Address 1:: St. Pauls Church, St. Pauls Street, Worcester, WR1 2BH

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:: St. Pauls Church, St. Pauls Street, Worcester, WR1 2BH

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

County:: Worcestershire
District:: Worcester (District Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SO8537854852

Summary

War memorial of 1921, designed by G E Sprague.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial in St Paul’s Churchyard, Worcester which was unveiled in 1921, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20; * Architectural interest: a well-crafted design, with a carved figure of Christ whose head is raised to signify the soldiers' victory rather than the bowed head that is more usually depicted.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of war 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 erected at St Paul’s Church in Worcester. It was commissioned by the Reverend Geoffrey Studdert-Kennedy, the vicar at St Paul’s, who became an army chaplain in 1914. He was later known as ‘Woodbine Willie’ as a result of him handing out cigarettes to soldiers in the trenches. He was awarded the Military Cross and went on to become the personal chaplain to King George V. The war memorial was funded by public subscription and was designed by G E Sprague, a Worcester sculptor. It was dedicated in 1921 and commemorates the 124 men of the parish who lost their lives during the First World War.

The memorial was conserved and repaired in 2009/10 and then re-dedicated.

Details

War memorial of 1921, designed by G E Sprague.

MATERIALS: limestone ashlar and timber.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises a timber Calvary with a carved depiction of Christ on a cross beneath a wooden and lead-clad weatherhood. It depicts Christ with his head raised to signify the soldiers' victory, rather than the bowed head that is more usually depicted. The shaft is set into a tall stone plinth which stands on a two-stepped base. The front (east) face of the plinth is inscribed: TO THE GLORY OF GOD / IN PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY / OF THE MEN FROM THIS PARISH WHO GAVE / THEIR LIVES FOR US IN THE GREAT WAR

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, 18 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 18 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/92099
War Memorials Register, accessed 18 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/32233

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.