Clent War Memorial
St Leonard's Churchyard, St Leonard's Square, Church Avenue, Clent
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1450348
- Date first listed:
- 12-Oct-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Clent War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- St Leonard's Churchyard, St Leonard's Square, Church Avenue, Clent
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1450348
- Date first listed:
- 12-Oct-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Clent War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- St Leonard's Churchyard, St Leonard's Square, Church Avenue, Clent
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:
- St Leonard's Churchyard, St Leonard's Square, Church Avenue, Clent
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Worcestershire
- District:
- Bromsgrove (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Clent
- National Grid Reference:
- SO9283879341
Summary
First World War memorial with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Clent War Memorial, which is situated in St Leonard’s 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 the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* An elegant wheel-head cross memorial.
Group value:
* With the Grade II*-listed Church of St Leonard.
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 Clent as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 29 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 conflict.
Following the Second World War eight names were added to the memorial to commemorate those who died in that conflict.
Details
First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War.
DESCRIPTION: Clent War Memorial is located within the churchyard to the west of the tower of the Grade II*-listed Church of St Leonard.
It takes the form of a stone wheel-head cross, which has a shield carved in relief to its centre containing the monogram IHS. The cross crowns a tapering octagonal shaft with a decorative carved collar and inverse chamfered stops to the base. The shaft rises from a slender four-sided pedestal with splayed foot, which surmounts a square plinth with a narrow, square block foot. The top corners of the plinth are moulded chamfers. The whole stands on a three-stepped stone base.
The principal inscription is to the front (west) face of the plinth and reads TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN GRATEFUL AND UNDYING MEMORY/ OF THE MEN FROM THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918/ ALSO TO THOSE WHO FELL/ IN THE WORLD WAR 1939-1945. To the plinth foot below is a verse from “The Supreme Sacrifice,” a poem by John Stanhope Arkwright, which reads THESE WERE HIS SERVANTS IN HIS STEPS THEY TROD/ FOLLOWING THROUGH DEATH THE MARTYRED SON OF GOD/ VICTOR HE ROSE VICTORIOUS TOO SHALL RISE/ THEY WHO HAVE DRUNK HIS CUP OF SACRIFICE.
The names of the 29 men who died in the First World War are listed on the remaining sides of the plinth. The eight dead from the Second World War are listed on the north and south faces of the plinth foot.
All lettering is incised.
Sources
Books and journals
Arkwright, J S, The Supreme Sacrifice and Other Poems in Time of War, (1919), pp17-18
Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 04 September 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/38699
War Memorials Online, accessed 04 September 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/137213
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 03-Jul-2026 at 11:21:44.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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