Ringwood War Memorial

Summary

Cross of Sacrifice war memorial, unveiled 1921, a replica of Sir Reginald Blomfield’s 1918 design for the Imperial War Graves Commission.

Reasons for Designation

The Ringwood War Memorial, 1921, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: an adaptation of Sir Reginald Blomfield’s Cross of Sacrifice. The elegant memorial is enhanced by its isolated garden setting.

History

The aftermath of the First World War was the great age of memorial building, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and because the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus for mourning.

Following the War, a War Memorial Committee was set up at Ringwood to create a fitting monument to the memory of the 111 local men who had died in the conflict. £440 was raised by public subscription, and the Committee came to an agreement with the council that if they bought an area of land on which to erect a war memorial in a garden setting, the Council would maintain it. As it transpired, the Committee raised insufficient money to carry out all of their plans, and it fell to the Council to erect new gates and plant trees. The memorial chosen for the site was Sir Reginald Blomfield’s Cross of Sacrifice, designed for the Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission) in 1918. It was unveiled on 30 June 1921 by Major General Sir George Aston KCB.

After the Second World War, a tablet dedicated to the 53 fallen soldiers was added to the cross, and posts and chains added around the base.

Details

Cross of Sacrifice war memorial, unveiled 1921, a replica of Sir Reginald Blomfield’s 1918 design for the Imperial War Graves Commission.

MATERIALS and PLAN: a Portland stone monument with bronze sword, mounted upon a Portland stone stepped octagonal plinth, with a Nabresina limestone tablet.

DESCRIPTION: the cross has an octagonal shaft and crossarm, upon which a bronze sword is affixed on the front side. It stands upon a stepped base and plinth, the latter of which has panels affixed to each side; that on the front is inscribed, with painted lettering, ‘IN / GRATEFUL MEMORY / OF THE MEN / OF RINGWOOD / WHO LOST / THEIR LIVES / FOR THEIR / KING AND COUNTRY / IN THE / GREAT WAR / 1914-1918’, and the names of the 111 fallen soldiers are listed alphabetically on the other seven plaques. A sloped tablet was added to the base following the Second World War and is inscribed ‘ROLL OF HONOUR 1939-1945’ followed by the names of the 53 fallen, and ‘LET US REMEMBER THOSE WHO WILL NOT RETURN’. The cross is enclosed by chains linked to short octagonal piers.


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, 6 December 2016.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 06/12/2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/21676
War Memorials Online, accessed 06/12/2016 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/102409
Hampshire Gardens Trust, Ringwood War Memorial Garden, accessed 30/08/2016 from http://research.hgt.org.uk/item/ringwood-war-memorial-garden

End of official list entry

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