Summary
First World War memorial Calvary cross, with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
The war memorial cross which stands in the churchyard of St Thomas’s Church, Chester, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
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.
Details
The memorial stands in the grounds of the Church of St Thomas of Canterbury (Grade II), in the northern part of the churchyard aligned to the north-east gate. Standing to a height of approximately 2m, it is a sandstone Calvary cross depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ with a hood at the top. The Gothic-style hood incorporates a blind arch with the monogram INRI carved in low relief on a scroll at its base. At the bottom of the cross shaft, rectangular in section, are the words JESU/ MERCY carved in low relief.
End of official list entry
