Alfold War Memorial

Churchyard of the Church of St Nicholas, Rosemary Lane, Alfold, Cranleigh, GU6 8EU

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Overview

War memorial, c1920. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1445240
Date first listed:: 18-May-2017
List Entry Name:: Alfold War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Churchyard of the Church of St Nicholas, Rosemary Lane, Alfold, Cranleigh, GU6 8EU

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1445240
Date first listed:: 18-May-2017
List Entry Name:: Alfold War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Churchyard of the Church of St Nicholas, Rosemary Lane, Alfold, Cranleigh, GU6 8EU

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:: Churchyard of the Church of St Nicholas, Rosemary Lane, Alfold, Cranleigh, GU6 8EU

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

County:: Surrey
District:: Waverley (District Authority)
Parish:: Alfold
National Grid Reference:: TQ0373533971

Summary

War memorial, c1920.

Reasons for Designation

The Alfold War Memorial, c1920, 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: a well-crafted memorial formed of a Celtic cross and shaft enriched by a moulded long sword; * Group value: with the Grade I-listed Church of St Nicholas, and a number of other Grade II-listed structures, contributing to the picturesque group.

History

A great wave of memorial building took place in the years following the First World War, honouring the many thousands of troops lost and marking the great impact of the international conflict at a local level. Memorials provided a focal point for grieving communities, whose dead were often not repatriated.

The Alfold War Memorial is one such example in a small community, erected in the parish churchyard. No record has been found of the date that it was raised, though it is likely to have been within a few years of the end of the Great War. It bears the names of 16 local men lost in the conflict. Following the Second World War a second plaque was added, commemorating the five local fallen soldiers.

Additional research has found that there were five more local men who died in the First World War, and one more in the Second World War, who were not recorded on the memorial (theygavetheirtoday.com).

Details

War memorial, c1920.

MATERIALS: the memorial is granite and stands on a concrete-covered base.

PLAN: located in the graveyard, c5m east of and in line with the chancel of Church of St Nicholas.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial consists of Celtic cross rising from an inscribed plinth with a three-stepped square base. The cross is roughly-hewn and has a sword of sacrifice moulded on the shaft, with the hilt at the cross bar. The plinth has a polished front face, which is inscribed with applied lead lettering: ‘TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF / THOSE FROM THIS PARISH / WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES / FOR THEIR COUNTRY DURING THE GREAT WAR / 1914-1918’ followed by the names of the 16 fallen soldiers. Below, a sloping tablet is inscribed ‘1939-1945’ followed by the names of the five men who lost their lives in the Second World War.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 6 June 2017.

Sources

Websites
Alfold, Surrey, They Gave Their Today, accessed 22/03/17 from http://www.theygavetheirtoday.com/alfold.html
War Memorials Online, accessed 6 June 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/201834
War Memorials Register, accessed 6 June 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/22954

Legal

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