Chawleigh War Memorial Obelisk
The churchyard, The Church of St James, Chawleigh, Devon, EX18 7HH
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1449512
- Date first listed:
- 19-Oct-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Chawleigh War Memorial Obelisk
- Statutory Address:
- The churchyard, The Church of St James, Chawleigh, Devon, EX18 7HH
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1449512
- Date first listed:
- 19-Oct-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Chawleigh War Memorial Obelisk
- Statutory Address 1:
- The churchyard, The Church of St James, Chawleigh, Devon, EX18 7HH
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- The churchyard, The Church of St James, Chawleigh, Devon, EX18 7HH
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Devon
- District:
- Mid Devon (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Chawleigh
- National Grid Reference:
- SS7122812650
Summary
First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Chawleigh War Memorial Obelisk, 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 well-executed granite obelisk in the Classical style.
Group value:
* with the Church of St James (Grade I), Chawleigh Village School and Old School House, and Lych Gate and Adjoining Stone Wall approximately 12 metres south of Church Of St James (all Grade II-listed).
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, a granite obelisk, was raised at Chawleigh as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. Whilst the contemporary Roll of Honour inside the Church of St James (Grade I-listed) records the names of those 12 who died, the obelisk has a general dedication to the dead of the First World War. Following the Second World War, the dates of that conflict were added to the dedication.
Details
Chawleigh War Memorial stands in the churchyard of the Church of St James (Grade I-listed), close to the lych gate and village school (both Grade II-listed). In granite, it takes the form of an obelisk rising from a tapered pedestal. The pedestal stands on a square base.
A wreath is carved in low relief on the front of the obelisk. The dedication, inscribed on the front face of the pedestal, reads IN/ AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE/ OF/ THOSE WHO FELL IN/ THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ 1939 – 1945.
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, 10 November 2017.
Sources
Websites
Devon Heritage, Chawleigh War Memorials, accessed 31 July 2017 from http://www.devonheritage.org/Places/Chawleigh/ChawleighthefourWarMemorials.htm
War Memorials Register, accessed 10 November 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/67403
War Memorials Online, accessed 10 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/253701
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 28-Jun-2026 at 05:30:15.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.