Beeston-next-Mileham War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial.

Reasons for Designation

Beeston-next-Mileham War Memorial, which is situated in St Mary's churchyard, 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 First World War;
* Architectural interest: as a simple but well-executed stone cross;
* Group value: with the Grade I-listed Church of St Mary.

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 the country, 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.

Beeston-next-Mileham, like many Norfolk war memorials, was situated within the churchyard. The memorial was presumably erected shortly after the end of the First World War. The memorial commemorates eight local servicemen and one woman, Gracia Bolton - a munitions worker, who lost their lives in the First World War. Gracia Bolton was born in Beeston and worked at the National Filling Factory No. 6 Chilwell in Nottingham. She was killed there in the worst accidental munitions explosion of the First World War in Britain, when on 1 July 1918 the ammonium nitrate plant exploded resulting in the loss of 134 lives.

Details

Beeston-next-Mileham War Memorial is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary. It comprises a stone wheel-head cross on a tapering plinth with a single-stepped, square-section base.

The front of the plinth bears the inscription, which reads: IN PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY OF/ (9 NAMES)/ WHO IN THE GREAT WAR MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/ 1914 – 1918/ THEIR BODIES REST IN PEACE BUT THEIR NAMES LIVETH FOR EVERMORE.

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 29 November 2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/56009
Roll of Honour, accessed 29 Nov 2016 from http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/Beeston.html
National Filling Factory No 6 Chilwell, accessed 16 December 2016 from http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1085832&sort=4&search=all&criteria=chilwell&rational=q&recordsperpage=10
War Memorials Online, accessed 23 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/253536

Other
OS Map 1:2500 (1928 edn)

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