Bearwood War Memorial

St Mary Church, Bearwood Road, Bearwood, B66 4BX

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

War memorial erected in 1922. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1446279
Date first listed:: 20-Jul-2017
List Entry Name:: Bearwood War Memorial
Statutory Address:: St Mary Church, Bearwood Road, Bearwood, B66 4BX

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1446279
Date first listed:: 20-Jul-2017
List Entry Name:: Bearwood War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: St Mary Church, Bearwood Road, Bearwood, B66 4BX

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:: St Mary Church, Bearwood Road, Bearwood, B66 4BX

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

District:: Sandwell (Metropolitan Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SP0215186393

Summary

War memorial erected in 1922.

Reasons for Designation

Bearwood 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 local community, and the sacrifices it made in the First World War; * Design: as a dignified and imposing stone cross 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, 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. One such memorial was raised at St Mary's Church in Bearwood in 1922, paid for by local subscription, as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the local community. At some point after its erection the memorial was moved by the then Smethwick Borough Council as part of a road widening scheme. Its current ownership is unknown (2017).

Details

Tall stone cross, sitting on a platform atop a plinth; the bottom of the shaft's front face is inscribed "1914 / 1918". The platform bears inscriptions on each side; these read - front: IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF / BEARWOOD WHO SACRIFICED / THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR; right: THEREFORE SHALL / THEY RECEIVE; back: A GLORIOUS KINGDOM AND / A BEAUTIFUL CROWN; and left: THE LORD'S HAND / WISDOM V 16. The faces of the plinth each bear the names of the Fallen. All inscriptions are partially eroded and difficult to read. The plinth stands on a two-step base.

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, 28 July 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 28 July 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/152049
War Memorials Register, accessed 29 March 2017 from www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/17508

Legal

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