Summary
War memorial, unveiled 1920, in the form of a Portland stone pillar set on a plinth.
Reasons for Designation
Stanley School War Memorial 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 school, and the sacrifices it made in the First World War;
* Design: as a poignant and imposing Portland stone pillar war memorial.
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. 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.
Details
Tall, octagonal Portland stone pillar with a rounded finial, resting on a Portland stone plinth; near the top of the shaft is a band of Xs, and to the bottom a band of lozenges. The front face of the plinth is inscribed: TO THE OLD BOYS OF THIS SCHOOL / WHO ON THE THRESHOLD OF MANHOOD / GAVE THEIR LIVES / IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1919 / LEAVING A GLORIOUS MEMORY AND AN / UNDYING EXAMPLE / THEY 'PLAYED THE GAME' TO THE END. The right and left faces bear the names of the Fallen. The plinth rests on a stone base.
End of official list entry
