Summary
First World War memorial designed by Sir John Ninian Comper and unveiled on 31 October 1918 with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Cirencester War Memorial, which stands on Market Place, 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 sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: a tall and intricately carved Calvary cross;
* Designer: by the noteworthy church architect Sir John Ninian Comper;
* Group value: with the adjacent Church of St John the Baptist (Grade I), the scheduled and Grade II-listed High Cross and other Grade II-listed structures around Market Place.
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.
Details
MATERIALS: Clipsham stone.
End of official list entry
