Fulbeck War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1921, with Second World War additions. It was designed by WS Weatherley of London and executed by Messrs Earp and Hobbs Ltd of London and Manchester.

Reasons for Designation

Fulbeck War Memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1921, with Second World War additions, executed by Messrs Earp and Hobbs Ltd of London and Manchester to a design by WS Weatherley, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* As an accomplished and well-realised war memorial which takes the simple form of a medieval lantern cross, with the inclusion of the base of a C13 churchyard cross adding further to its interest.

Historic interest:

* As an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20, enhanced by its inclusion of the base from a C13 churchyard cross.

Group value:

* With the Grade I-listed Church of St Nicholas.

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 memorial was raised in St Nicholas’s churchyard in Fulbeck as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 19 members of the local community who lost their lives. The memorial, which takes the form of a medieval lantern cross, was unveiled on 31 March 1921 by the Bishop of Lincoln and dedicated by the Rev C Bingham. It was designed by William Samuel Weatherley (1850-1922), a former pupil and assistant to Sir George Gilbert Scott, and executed by Messrs Earp and Hobbs Ltd of London and Manchester. The base of a C13 churchyard cross was also incorporated into the structure. Following the Second World War an additional dedication was added to commemorate the four local men who fell in that conflict.

Details

First World War memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1921, with Second World War additions. It was designed by WS Weatherley of London and executed by Messrs Earp and Hobbs Ltd of London and Manchester.

MATERIALS: it is of limestone with a Portland stone base.

PLAN: it is square on plan.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands at the east end of St Nicholas’s churchyard, adjacent to the boundary wall and railings to Cliff Road, and takes the form of a medieval lantern cross in a Gothic Revival style. It comprises a two-stepped base on which stands a square plinth with incised inscriptions on all four sides. The dedicatory inscription on the east face reads “TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN MEMORY OF THOSE / FROM THIS PARISH WHO / GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR / THEIR COUNTRY IN / THE GREAT WAR OF / 1914 – 1919 / AND ALSO IN THE WORLD WAR / 1939 – 1945”. The names of those who died are inscribed on the other three faces. Placed on top of the plinth is the octagonal base of a C13 churchyard cross, from which rises a tall shaft which tapers in octagonal section to a lantern cross head. Each face of the head is divided into four traceried niches containing relief carvings of the Crucified Christ (east side), St George and the Dragon (west side), a running vine (south side) and the Rose of Sharon (north side).

Sources

Websites
Information on Fulbeck War Memorial from the Imperial War Museum's War Memorials Register, accessed 21 August 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/54197
Information on Fulbeck War Memorial from War Memorials Online, accessed 21 August 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/234058/
Information on Fulbeck War Memorial from the Lincs to the Past website, accessed 21 August 2017 from www.lincstothepast.com/MemorialDetails.aspx?objectid=1579810

Other
Grantham Journal, 9 April 1921, p6

End of official list entry

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