Lower Shiplake War Memorial

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

Overview

Stone First World War memorial, c1923, with remembrance detail updated after the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1447881
Date first listed:: 05-Jul-2017
List Entry Name:: Lower Shiplake War Memorial

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1447881
Date first listed:: 05-Jul-2017
List Entry Name:: Lower Shiplake War Memorial
Location Description:: War Memorial on the grass triangle at the junction of Station Road and Reading Road (A4155) in Lower Shiplake, Oxfordshire.

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

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

County:: Oxfordshire
District:: South Oxfordshire (District Authority)
Parish:: Shiplake
National Grid Reference:: SU7710079636

Summary

Stone First World War memorial, c1923, with remembrance detail updated after the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Lower Shiplake War Memorial, which stands in the south-east corner of a small green formed by the intersection of the A4155 and Station Road, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest: * As an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest: * An impressive rough-hewn stone monument with decorative volutes and Celtic style carving.

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. 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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such was raised at Lower Shiplake and was built in c1923 on land conveyed to the parish council for the erection of a war memorial. The names of the fallen are recorded on two bronze plaques. The second plaque was added after the Second World War.

Details

Stone First World War memorial, c1923, with remembrance detail updated after the Second World War.

MATERIALS: granite with bronze plaques.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial lies in the south-east corner of a small green formed by the intersection of the A4155 and Station Road in Lower Shiplake.

The rough-hewn stone base of the monument consists of a battered plinth which stands upon a three-stepped base. The plinth is constructed of blocks, and has four faces. The eastern and western faces have a bronze plaque, carrying the embossed names of the fallen.

The west facing plaque reads: TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY OF THE MEN/ OF SHIPLAKE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN/ THE GREAT WAR /1914-1918/ (NAMES)/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE, and the east facing plaque reads: IN REMEMBRANCE/ OF THOSE WHO GAVE/ THEIR LIVES IN THE/ WORLD WAR 1939-1945/ (NAMES)/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE. In total there are 53 names of the fallen.

On the top of the plinth, there is a c2m high shaft supported by a chamfered base. The shaft has inset carved panels, and is square in cross-section. The top of the shaft has a pair of volutes, and supports a stone wheel-cross with Celtic style carving. The shaft and wheel-cross are constructed of smoothed granite.

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, 24 November 2017.

Sources

Websites
Association of Commons and Greens, accessed 31 May 2017 from http://www.acraew.org.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/Oxfordshire/WAR%20MEMORIAL%20CROSS%20-%20LOWER%20SHIPLAKE%20NO.CL.91.pdf
War Memorials Online, accessed 24 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/253522
War Memorials Register, accessed 31 May 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/31634

Legal

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