Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled 1922, with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Seaton Delaval War Memorial, which stands on Elsdon Road, 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 elegant memorial cross in the Classical style.
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. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Seaton Delaval as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the men and women of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Details
The memorial stands in a garden to the north side of Elsdon Avenue. In Creetown granite, c6.5m tall, it takes the form of a small Latin cross rising from a tapering and buttressed shaft. The shaft rises from a moulded pedestal, decorated to each side with carved wreaths suspended from ribbons, that stands on the corniced top of the plinth. The plinth stands on a four-stepped base.
End of official list entry
