Amberley War Memorial

East of St Michael's Church, St Michael's Churchyard, Church Street, Amberley, Sussex, BN18 9NF

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Overview

First World War memorial granite cross, 1919, with later additions for Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1449028
Date first listed:: 24-Aug-2017
List Entry Name:: Amberley War Memorial
Statutory Address:: East of St Michael's Church, St Michael's Churchyard, Church Street, Amberley, Sussex, BN18 9NF

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1449028
Date first listed:: 24-Aug-2017
List Entry Name:: Amberley War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: East of St Michael's Church, St Michael's Churchyard, Church Street, Amberley, Sussex, BN18 9NF

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:: East of St Michael's Church, St Michael's Churchyard, Church Street, Amberley, Sussex, BN18 9NF

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

County:: West Sussex
District:: Horsham (District Authority)
Parish:: Amberley
National Park:: SOUTH DOWNS
National Grid Reference:: TQ0283113184

Summary

First World War memorial granite cross, 1919, with later additions for Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Amberley War Memorial Cross, which stands in the churchyard, 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 made in the conflicts of the C20. Architectural interest:

* A simple yet poignant granite wheel-head cross in the Celtic style.

Group value: with the Parish Church of St Michael and All Angels (Grade I), the scheduled and Grade I-listed Amberley Castle, and numerous other listed buildings on Church Street.

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 Amberley as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The cross was provided in 1919 by G Maile and Sons (London) at the arrangement of the incumbent, Reverend H Rickard. The cost of the Diocesan Architect's design being prohibitive, and the design ill-favoured locally, Reverend Rickard chose Maile and Sons' cross as both affordable and generally approved of.

Whilst the cross does not record the names of the casualties, 15 First World War and six Second World War combatants are listed on plaques in the neighbouring Church of St Michael.

Details

MATERIALS: Cornish granite.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial cross stands in the churchyard of the Parish Church of St Michael and All Angels (Grade I-listed), close to the eastern entrance to the churchyard. It takes the form of a rough-hewn Cornish granite wheel-head cross, about 2m tall, rising from a plinth that stands on a stepped base.

INSCRIPTION: an inscription on the front face of the foot of the cross shaft reads: LAUS DEO, whilst the principal dedicatory inscription on the front faced of the plinth reads: THIS CROSS/ WAS SET UP BY THE PEOPLE OF/ AMBERLEY & HOUGHTON/ AS A THANKFUL MEMORIAL BEFORE/ ALMIGHTY GOD/ OF THE VICTORIOUS ISSUE OF THE/ GREAT WAR 1914-1918/ AND/ OF THE DEVOTION/ OF THOSE WHO FOUGHT & THOSE WHO FELL/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY & FOR RIGHT.

A small stone (limestone) laid to the front of the memorial, butting the base, carries the Second World War inscription, reading: IN MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO FELL IN THE WAR/ 1939-1945.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 21 August 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/229415/
War Memorials Register, accessed 21 August 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/29322

Legal

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