St Edward's War Memorial, Leek

Churchyard of the Church of St Edward, Church Street, Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 6AB

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Overview

First World War memorial, unveiled on 6 March 1922, 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:: 1438631
Date first listed:: 06-Oct-2016
List Entry Name:: St Edward's War Memorial, Leek
Statutory Address:: Churchyard of the Church of St Edward, Church Street, Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 6AB

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1438631
Date first listed:: 06-Oct-2016
List Entry Name:: St Edward's War Memorial, Leek
Statutory Address 1:: Churchyard of the Church of St Edward, Church Street, Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 6AB

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 the Church of St Edward, Church Street, Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 6AB

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

County:: Staffordshire
District:: Staffordshire Moorlands (District Authority)
Parish:: Leek
National Grid Reference:: SJ9829156615

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled on 6 March 1922, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

St Edward’s War Memorial, Leek, unveiled on 6 March 1922, 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: an elegant and ornate wheel-head cross with Celtic-style carved decorative details; * Group value: with the Parish Church of St Edward the Confessor (Grade II*), churchyard lych gate, railings, and gates (Grade II), and medieval churchyard crosses (Grade II and scheduled monument).

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 Leek 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 and associated plaque at St Edward’s Church, Leek were both funded through public subscription at a cost of £800. A service of dedication was held on 6 March 1922 during which the memorial cross was unveiled. The service was conducted by the Reverend E Spink, a former vicar of St Edward the Confessor Parish Church, and attended by civic dignitaries and the officers and men of the 3rd Staffordshire Battery (Territorial Force), Royal Field Artillery. The brass plaque inscribed with the names of the fallen was subsequently mounted on the rear wall of the church and was dedicated on 29 October 1922.

In 2010 the memorial was repaired with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust.

Details

MATERIALS: Roche limestone.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial consists of a Celtic-style wheel-head cross with shortened cross-bar arms that rises from a tapering shaft. Both cross and shaft are rectangular in plan.

The front and rear faces of the cross and upper two-thirds of the shaft are recessed resulting in a border in relief that is flush with the lower third of the shaft. The side faces of the shaft are similarly recessed. The front face of the cross and shaft are decorated with Celtic-style carved interlacing motifs with the ‘IHS’ Christogram at the centre point of the cross arms in relief. The rear face bears a carved Sword of Sacrifice in relief. The shaft rises from a rectangular block plinth of broad frontage with rounded upper edges which is set upon a three-stepped square base.

The front face of the plinth is inscribed 1914 – 1919/ TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ THEIR NAMES ARE GRATEFULLY RECORDED/ ON THE TABLET IN THE CHURCH./ ‘GRANT THEM LORD ETERNAL REST’.

The left face of the plinth read: ALSO/ IN HONOURED MEMORY/ OF THOSE WHO FELL IN/ THE WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 21 July 2016 from www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/74132
War Memorials Register, accessed 21 July 2016 from www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/51210
War Memorials Trust, accessed 21 July 2016 from www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=826

Legal

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