Waverton War Memorial
St Peter's churchyard, Village Road, Waverton, Cheshire, CH3 7RA
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1451836
- Date first listed:
- 05-Feb-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Waverton War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- St Peter's churchyard, Village Road, Waverton, Cheshire, CH3 7RA
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1451836
- Date first listed:
- 05-Feb-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Waverton War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- St Peter's churchyard, Village Road, Waverton, Cheshire, CH3 7RA
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 Peter's churchyard, Village Road, Waverton, Cheshire, CH3 7RA
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Cheshire West and Chester (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Waverton
- National Grid Reference:
- SJ4617263318
Summary
First World War memorial cross, unveiled 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Waverton War Memorial, 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 the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* a tall and imposing war memorial cross decorated with carved interlace patterns, in the Celtic style.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Peter (Grade II*) and the sundial in the churchyard and churchyard walls, gate piers and gates (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 was raised at Waverton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 13 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was unveiled on 31 May 1920 by the Bishop of Chester. It had cost £110, raised by nearly 200 subscribers to the memorial fund. Following the Second World War the names of two men who died in that conflict were added to the memorial dedication.
Details
The memorial takes the form of a Celtic cross, located in the churchyard of the Church of St Peter (Grade II*) and in close proximity to churchyard structures listed at Grade II. The sandstone cross is about 4m tall. A three-stepped square base supports a square plinth. Rising from the plinth is a plain tapering cross shaft which is surmounted by the wheel-head cross. Both front and rear faces of the cross head are ornamented with a Celtic interlace pattern carved in low relief.
The principal dedicatory inscription incised into the east face of the memorial’s plinth reads ERECTED BY THE PARISHIONERS OF/ WAVERTON AND HATTON IN/ GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THESE MEN/ WHO DIED FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ 1914 + 1919/ (13 NAMES). The later inscription to the west face of the plinth reads ALSO/ IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF/ THESE MEN/ WHO DIED FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ 1939 + 1945/ (2 NAMES).
This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 27 February 2018.
Sources
Books and journals
Wittle, J., Waverton: A History of its People and Places, (2002), pp64-5
Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 24 October 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/9890
War Memorials Online, accessed 27 February 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/255076
Other
The Cheshire Observer, Saturday, 3 April 1920
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 04-Jun-2026 at 05:49:12.
Download a full scale map (PDF)© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900.© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2026. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.
End of official list entry