Hitcham War Memorial

Outside St Mary's Church, Hitcham Lane, Hitcham, Burnham, Buckinghamshire

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

Overview

First World War memorial with Second World War additions. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1447961
Date first listed:: 26-Jul-2017
List Entry Name:: Hitcham War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Outside St Mary's Church, Hitcham Lane, Hitcham, Burnham, Buckinghamshire

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1447961
Date first listed:: 26-Jul-2017
List Entry Name:: Hitcham War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Outside St Mary's Church, Hitcham Lane, Hitcham, Burnham, Buckinghamshire

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:: Outside St Mary's Church, Hitcham Lane, Hitcham, Burnham, Buckinghamshire

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

District:: Buckinghamshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Burnham
National Grid Reference:: SU9200482551

Summary

First World War memorial with Second World War additions.

Reasons for Designation

Hitcham war memorial, which is situated in Hitcham Lane on a grass verge at the roadside to the south of St Mary’s Church, 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 elegant Latin cross memorial with finely carved details;

Group value: * For its relationship 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 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 which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

One such memorial was raised at Hitcham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 18 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. Historic maps indicate that it was erected not long after the end of the war.

The names of four servicemen who lost their lives during the Second World War were added later.

Details

First World War memorial with Second World War additions.

DESCRIPTION: Hitcham War Memorial is situated in Hitcham Lane on a grass verge at the roadside to the south of the Grade I-listed Church of St Mary.

The memorial takes the form of a stone, Latin cross-head atop an octagonal, tapering column with moulded foot. To each face of the column are small, recessed arches at its base, directly above the foot. The column rises from a moulded pedestal, surmounting a square plinth with a three-stepped, octagonal base beneath. The pedestal has a chamfered top with a moulded scroll design to the bottom of each corner. The plinth consists of a square block on a chamfered foot. The pedestal carries the principal inscription to three sides, with the names on the plinth beneath. A narrow square block separates the pedestal and plinth and bears the dates of the conflicts to two faces.

The principal inscription and dates are carved with raised lettering, while the names are incised. The west face reads: THEY SLEEP WITH/ THE EMPIRE'S BEST/ AND NOBLEST SONS/ (6 NAMES); the south face reads: WHO IN THE/ GLORIOUS MORNING/ OF THEIR DAYS/ 1914-1918/ (6 NAMES); and the west face reads FOR ENGLAND'S /SAKE LOST ALL BUT/ ENGLAND'S PRAISE/ (6 NAMES)

The north side of the plinth carries the four names of those who died during the Second World War, underneath the dates 1939 – 1945.

Sources

Websites
Hitcham War Memorial, accessed 1 June 2017 from http://buckinghamshireremembers.org.uk/memorials/p346.htm
War Memorials Online, accessed 1 June 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/222449/
War Memorials Register, accessed 1 June 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/8267
Other
OS Map 1:2500 (1925 edn)

Legal

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