Pickwell War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1925, with Second World War additions.

Reasons for Designation

Pickwell War Memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1925, with a Second Word War addition, 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 made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design interest: as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial which takes the form of a Celtic wheel-head cross.

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. One such memorial was unveiled and dedicated on 26 July 1925 in the Leicestershire parish of Pickwell to honour seven local men who died during the conflict. A report of the unveiling ceremony published in the Grantham Journal on 1 August 1925 states that the delay in erecting the memorial was caused by a lack of funds from such a small parish. It was made by an unknown Aberdeen firm and was placed in position by Mr Stimson, a monumental mason of Somerby. Following the Second World War a further single name was added.

Details

First World War memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1925, with Second World War additions.

MATERIALS: of rock-faced Aberdeen granite with a base of Mountsorrel granite.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial takes the form of a Celtic cross which stands on a triangular-shaped traffic island at the W end of Main Street, at its junction with Somerby Road and Leesthorpe Road. It comprises a three-step base, supporting a rough-hewn shallow pedestal, trapezoidal plinth, and tall shaft which tapers in rectangular section to a Celtic wheel-head cross. The E and W faces of the shaft both bear the relief of a Sword of Sacrifice. The First World War dedication is inscribed on the W face of the plinth and reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF / THE MEN OF THIS PARISH / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 - 1918. / [NAMES]. The E face bears the single name of a Second World War casualty and is inscribed TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF / COL. L.P.G. KELLY, M.C., / (OF LEESTHORPE HALL) / WHO GAVE HIS LIFE IN THE / SECOND WORLD WAR / 1939 - 1945.

The memorial is surrounded on all four sides by low plinth walling with square corner bosses. Of Mountsorrel granite, it originally supported iron railings, now removed.


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
War Memorials Register, accessed 24 November 2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/37487
Information on Pickwell War Memorial from the Leicestershire County Council's War Memorials Project website, accessed 24 November 2016 from http://www.leicestershirewarmemorials.co.uk/war/memorials/view/908
War Memorials Online, accessed 23 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/253745

Other
Grantham Journal, 1 August 1925, p10

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