Hinton Martell War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial with a later addition for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Hinton Martell War Memorial which is situated in the churchyard of St John the Evangelist, 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 sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* a well-executed lantern cross memorial with fine sculptural details;

* designed by the renowned architect and stained glass designer Frederick Charles Eden.

Group value:

* with the Grade II-listed Church of St John the Evangelist.

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 Hinton Martell as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 17 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was presumably erected not long after the end of the war and is thought to have been designed by the architect Frederick Charles Eden.

Following the Second World War, a dedication was added to commemorate the one fallen of that conflict.

Frederick Charles Eden FRIBA FSA (1864-1944), architect and stained glass designer, joined William Butterfield’s office following his education at Wellington College, and Keble College, Oxford. He was articled to Bodley and Garner in 1889. In private practice in London from 1890, he was responsible for the design of a number of war memorials, some of which are windows but include lych gates (such as that at the listed Grade II Crudwell Parish Church) and free-standing crosses such as the Grade II-listed examples at Weybourne, (Norfolk), All Saints’ Church, Clifton (Bristol), and East Bergholt (Suffolk).

Details

First World War memorial with a later addition for the Second World War.

DESCRIPTION: Hinton Martell War Memorial is located on the edge of the churchyard to the south of the Grade II-listed Church of St John the Evangelist, close to the main road through the village.

It is of Chilmark stone and takes the form of a lantern cross with a niche to the westward face containing a carved representation of the Virgin Mary cradling the body of Jesus. The lantern has a gabled roof and a carving in relief to the apex above the arched niche. It has a wide octagonal shaft, which has alternating fleur-de-lys and circular flowers carved in relief down the shaft to every other face. This rises from a square plinth with chamfered top surmounting a splayed base.

The First World War inscription is to the west face of the plinth and reads THE GALLANT DEAD/ A 1914 – 1918 D/ R I P. The names of those who died are listed on the remaining three faces of the plinth. Beneath the inscription, to the west face of the base, is the Second World War dedication 1939 – 1945/ (NAME). All lettering is incised.

The memorial stands on a small, square area of paving.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 11 August 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/97549
War Memorials Register, accessed 11 August 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/26637
Archives Hub, V&A Archive of Art and Design, accessed 01 August 2016 from http://archiveshub.ac.uk/data/gb73-aad/2013/5

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