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Birch-in-Hopwood War Memorial

Birch-in-Hopwood War Memorial, Churchyard of the Church of St Mary, Langley Lane, Birch-in-Hopwood, Middleton, OL10 2QJ

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

Overview

First World War memorial cross, erected early 1920s, with later additions for the Second World War, re-erected c1970. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1441324
Date first listed:: 20-Dec-2016
List Entry Name:: Birch-in-Hopwood War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Birch-in-Hopwood War Memorial, Churchyard of the Church of St Mary, Langley Lane, Birch-in-Hopwood, Middleton, OL10 2QJ

User submitted image — Uploaded by Barrie Price 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:: 1441324
Date first listed:: 20-Dec-2016
List Entry Name:: Birch-in-Hopwood War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Birch-in-Hopwood War Memorial, Churchyard of the Church of St Mary, Langley Lane, Birch-in-Hopwood, Middleton, OL10 2QJ

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:: Birch-in-Hopwood War Memorial, Churchyard of the Church of St Mary, Langley Lane, Birch-in-Hopwood, Middleton, OL10 2QJ

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

District:: Rochdale (Metropolitan Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SD8524307813

Summary

First World War memorial cross, erected early 1920s, with later additions for the Second World War, re-erected c1970

Reasons for Designation

Birch-in-Hopwood War Memorial, erected early 1920s is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on the Parish of St Mary, Birch-in-Hopwood, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20; * Architectural interest: it is an unusual Celtic cross design, which lacks the lower wheel quadrants.

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, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

The war memorial was created to commemorate the men of the Parish of St Mary, Birch-in-Hopwood, who fell during the First World War. It was built during the early 1920s and was situated in the graveyard, immediately adjacent to the entrance porch at the SW corner of the church. Following the Second World War, the names of the Fallen from that conflict were added to the memorial. The C19 church was demolished c1962 and replaced by a new building, and the war memorial was taken down and re-erected on the terracotta tiled floor of the former chancel apse.

Details

First World War memorial cross, erected early 1920s, with later additions for the Second World War, re-erected c1970

Birch-in-Hopwood War Memorial comprises a stone-built Celtic cross raised on a pedestal, stepped-plinth and a podium. The cross has no lower wheel quadrants and is carved with the Christian monogram IHS. The shaft rises from a canted pedestal; the front (W) face of the pedestal has a dedication that reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN MEMORY OF THE MEN / OF THIS PARISH WHO GAVE / THEIR LIVES IN THE WAR. / 1914 – 1918. and records 19 of the 29 names of the Fallen; the remainder are carved into the front face of the top step of the plinth. The rear (E) face of the pedestal is dedicated 1939 -1945 and records the names of seven individuals killed during the Second World War. Both steps of the plinth have chamfered upper surfaces.

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, 23 November 2017.

Sources

Websites
Conservation Appraisal - Birch Village, accessed 8 November 2016 from www.rochdale.gov.uk/pdf/2013-08-21-conservationareaappraisal.pdf
Souvenir Brochure of Our History, accessed 9 November 2016 from www.stmarybirch.org.uk/souvenir-brochure-of-our-history.html
War Memorials Online, accessed 23 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/253755
War Memorials Register, accessed 8 November 2016 from www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/55753

Legal

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

The listed building is shown coloured blue on the attached map. Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’), structures attached to or within the curtilage of the listed building (save those coloured blue on the map) are not to be treated as part of the listed building for the purposes of the Act.