Shrewton War Memorial

The churchyard, St Mary's Church, High Street, Shrewton, Wiltshire, SP3 4DD

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Overview

First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1451849
Date first listed:: 06-Feb-2018
List Entry Name:: Shrewton War Memorial
Statutory Address:: The churchyard, St Mary's Church, High Street, Shrewton, Wiltshire, SP3 4DD

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1451849
Date first listed:: 06-Feb-2018
List Entry Name:: Shrewton War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: The churchyard, St Mary's Church, High Street, Shrewton, Wiltshire, SP3 4DD

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: The churchyard, St Mary's Church, High Street, Shrewton, Wiltshire, SP3 4DD

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Shrewton
National Grid Reference:: SU0697844361

Summary

First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Shrewton 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; * the Roll of Honour is unusual as it includes the name of a female casualty, Nurse DV Dimmer.

Architectural interest:

* an elegant war memorial cross.

Group value:

* with the Church of St Mary (Grade II*), its gate and railings (Grade II) and nearby Grade II-listed churchyard monuments and Church House.

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 Shrewton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 22 men and one woman, Nurse Daisy V Dimmer (d1918), from the local community who lost their lives in service during the First World War. The names of 17 parishioners who died during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.

Details

The memorial stands inside the churchyard of the Church of St Mary the Virgin (Grade II*-listed) beside the cast-iron entrance gate and railings, within close proximity of churchyard monuments and opposite Church House all Grade II-listed.

The stone memorial comprises a Latin cross rising from a moulded collar on a tapering octagonal shaft. The cross shaft stands on a square plinth with chamfered shoulders, on a two-stepped square base.

The main inscription in relief-carved Gothic lettering on the front face of the plinth reads OUR/ GALLANT DEAD/ A:D 1914-1918, with a further inscription in similar script on the upper step reading 1939-1945.

On the rear face of the plinth is an incised and black-painted inscription which reads PEACE BE UPON THEM/ AND MERCY. The names of the dead are incised into the side faces of the plinth and the upper step of the base.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 25 May 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/134773
War Memorials Register, accessed 25 May 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/51019

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.