Corston and Rodbourne War Memorial Cross

Summary

First World War memorial cross, unveiled 1920.

Reasons for Designation

Corston and Rodbourne War Memorial, which stands at a road junction in the centre of Corston, 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 First World War;

Architectural interest:

* a simple yet poignant wheel-head cross memorial which, unusually, has not been adapted for Second World War commemoration and thus retains its original design intent.

Group value:

* with the Grade II*-listed Church of All Saints, and The Hermitage (Grade II).

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 erected in Corston to a design by CA Hughes of Malmesbury. It commemorates not only the 11 local servicemen who died, but all who served in the First World War.

The design and location of the memorial were chosen by a Committee, following consultation with local residents. The memorial was unveiled on Saturday 30 October 1920 and dedicated by the Archdeacon of Swindon. The cost was £65, and 3s 4d per dozen letters for the inscriptions: the memorial was subscribed to by ‘practically every family in the parish’ with fundraising bringing in £87 4s 0d.

The memorial was cleaned and repaired in 2016 with the help of a grant from War Memorials Trust.

Details

Corston and Rodbourne War Memorial stands at the centre of Corston at the junction between Main Road and Rodbourne Road, on the approach to the church of All Saints (Grade II*) and in front of The Hermitage (Grade II). It is set on a small green in a rectangular gravelled area, enclosed by a low concrete kerb with slab coping.

The stone memorial comprises a small wheel cross set on the top of a tall tapering chamfered shaft, rectangular on plan. The cross shaft rises from a tapered plinth that stands on a two-stepped base. The panels of the plinth and base are incised and leaded with a dedication inscription and the names of the fallen.

The main inscription is on the north face of the plinth, beginning THE/ GREAT WAR flanked by the dates 1914 and 1918 and continuing below OUR GLORIOUS DEAD/ DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI/ (11 NAMES).

A further inscription on the north face of the upper step reads GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS/ THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS. The final inscription is found on the west face of the upper step reads IN HONOUR OF THE 64 MEN OF CORSTON &/ RODBOURNE WHO SERVED IN THE GREAT WAR.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 9 May 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/23980
War Memorials Online, accessed 9 May 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/148916
War Memorials Trust, Grants Showcase, accessed 9 May 2017 from http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=1392
St Paul Malmesbury Without Parish Council website, accessed 9 May 2017 from http://www.stpaulmalmesburywithoutparishcouncil.org.uk/about-our-organization/corston-and-rodbourne-war-memorial

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