Great Barrow War Memorial

Churchyard of the Church of St Bartholomew, Mill Lane, Great Barrow, Cheshire, CH3 7JF

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

Overview

First World War memorial, by Haswell and Son of Kaleyards, Chester and unveiled on 17 July 1920, with further names added after the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1439331
Date first listed:: 02-Dec-2016
List Entry Name:: Great Barrow War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Churchyard of the Church of St Bartholomew, Mill Lane, Great Barrow, Cheshire, CH3 7JF

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

Location

Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.

There is a problem

Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions.

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.

What is the National Heritage List for England?

The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.

The list includes:

🏠 Buildings
🏰 Scheduled monuments
🌳 Parks and gardens
⚔️ Battlefields
⚓ Shipwrecks

Find out more about listing

Historic England Archive

Search over 1 million photographs and drawings from the 1850s to the present day using our images archive.

Find Photos

Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1439331
Date first listed:: 02-Dec-2016
List Entry Name:: Great Barrow War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Churchyard of the Church of St Bartholomew, Mill Lane, Great Barrow, Cheshire, CH3 7JF

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 Bartholomew, Mill Lane, Great Barrow, Cheshire, CH3 7JF

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

District:: Cheshire West and Chester (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Barrow
National Grid Reference:: SJ4694268295

Summary

First World War memorial, by Haswell and Son of Kaleyards, Chester and unveiled on 17 July 1920, with further names added after the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Great Barrow 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 this community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20; * Architectural interest: an elegant wheel-head cross with carved decorative details; * Group value: with the Church of St Bartholomew (Grade II*), churchyard gates (Grade II) and a medieval cross remains, now a sundial, in the churchyard (Grade II and a 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 Great Barrow 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 funded by voluntary contributions, the cost amounting to £190. The work was carried out by Haswell and Son of Kaleyards, Chester. The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 17 July 1920, by Major Harry Barnston MP (who also unveiled Farndon war memorial in November 1919), and dedicated by the rector, Rev T Jenkins. ‘The church was filled to the doors...then followed a most impressive service.’ The cross was unveiled from beneath the drape of a Union Jack and the national anthem along with a number of hymns were sung. The Last Post and Reveille were sounded by buglers from the Cheshire Regiment.

Following the Second World War, the names of three men who fell in that war were added to the west facing side the plinth.

Details

MATERIALS: sandstone memorial and bronze plaques.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located within the churchyard of St Bartholomew’s Church, and it comprises a Celtic-style wheel-head cross approximately 4m tall. Interlace detailing in relief to both sides, including a central leaf motif, is positioned upon an angular, tapered shaft. Five further leaf motifs in relief feature in a central column, evenly spaced, down the length of the shaft.

The shaft stands upon a square plinth with angular, pillared shoulders to all four corners, bearing bronze plaques to three sides (N, S and W) with inscriptions in relief. The plinth is positioned upon a two-stepped octagonal base.

The general inscription to the S facing side of the plinth reads: TO THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD / & TO COMMEMORATE THE SELF / SACRIFICE & DEVOTION OF THE / BRAVE SONS OF THIS VILLAGE / WHO DIED FIGHTING FOR ENGLAND / IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1919. The names and individual ranks of 21 men who fell in the First World War are inscribed on the N facing side of the plinth.

‘AND ALSO OF’ followed by the names of three men who served in the 1939 – 1945 war, are inscribed in relief upon a third bronze plaque, added to the W facing side of the plinth.

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, 27 February 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 27 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/113516
War Memorials Register, accessed 21 August 2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/9868
Other
Chester Chronicle, Saturday 24 July 1920
Diocese of Chester, Faculty, Barrow, Citation to faculty for erection of churchyard cross, 19 May 1920, Cheshire Archives and Local Studies Service

Legal

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