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Portobello War Memorial

Somerford Place, Portobello, Wolverhampton, WV13 2JP

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

Overview

First World War memorial, unveiled on 22 July 1920. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1437615
Date first listed:: 31-Aug-2016
List Entry Name:: Portobello War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Somerford Place, Portobello, Wolverhampton, WV13 2JP

User submitted image — Uploaded by Historic England War Memorials This photo may not represent the current condition of the site
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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1437615
Date first listed:: 31-Aug-2016
List Entry Name:: Portobello War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Somerford Place, Portobello, Wolverhampton, WV13 2JP

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:: Somerford Place, Portobello, Wolverhampton, WV13 2JP

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

District:: Walsall (Metropolitan Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SO9558698320

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled on 22 July 1920.

Reasons for Designation

Portobello War Memorial, unveiled 22 July 1920, 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 elegant and ornate Latin cross mounted on an obelisk, embellished with carved decorative details.

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 Portobello 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 memorial was unveiled on 22 July 1920 by Lieutenant-Colonel Waterhouse, DSO, and dedicated by Rev H P Stevens.

In 1973 the memorial was vandalised and the bronze plaques removed; these were replaced by slate tablets.

Details

The memorial comprises a stone Latin cross mounted on an obelisk decorated with carved interlacing foliate designs. It stands on an octagonal two-stepped chamfered plinth upon a two-stepped base.

Gilded onto slate plaques on the front face of the obelisk is a dedication that reads: THE/ ROSE AND CROSS/ OUR EMBLEM TRUE/ OF LOVE THAT/ OUT OF SUFFERING GREW/ THE LOVE WHICH/ KINDLETH SOULS TO LIVE/ THE PUREST LOVE/ THAT ONE CAN GIVE/ WON BY/ UNSELFISHNESS AND PAIN/ THAT BROTHERHOOD.

ERECTED/ BY THE INHABITANTS/ IN/ HONOUR/ OF THE BRAVE MEN/ OF/ PORTOBELLO/ WHO FOUGHT/ IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ AND IN/ GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE/ OF THOSE WHO/ LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES.

THOU WAST THEIR ROCK THEIR/ FORTRESS AND THEIR MIGHT/ THOU, LORD, THEIR CAPTAIN/ IN THE WELL FOUGHT FIGHT/ THOU IN THE DARKNESS DREAR/ THEIR ONE TRUE LIGHT.

On the other three faces are lists of the 312 fallen men from the First World War gilded onto slate plaques. Above each of the three plaques are carved onto the stone obelisk the words: DUTY, SACRIFICE and LIBERTY, one word on each face.

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, 17 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
Portobello War Memorial, accessed 6 July 2016 from http://www.wolverhamptonwarmemorials.org.uk/memorial_pages/Town/portobello_willenhall.htm
Portobello War Memorial, accessed 6 July 2016 from http://www.blackcountrybugle.co.uk/memorial-world-war-servicemen-portobello/story-20146967-detail/story.html#JIIxPCcutojeC0Ek.99
War Memorials Online, accessed 17 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/106312
War Memorials Register, accessed 6 July 2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/17632

Legal

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