Bentley War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 27 November 1921, with Second World War additions.

Reasons for Designation

Bentley War Memorial, which is situated at the junction of Church Road and Station Road, 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 has made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* a well-executed example of a Latin cross memorial;

* designed by noted architect H Munro Cautley.

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 Bentley as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

It was dedicated by the Reverend J Michael Jones and unveiled by his nephew, Colonel C Carnegy, on 27 November 1921. The memorial was designed by architect, H Munro Cautley, and was erected by Mr E E Saunders of Ipswich, who built many war memorials in Suffolk, several of which are listed.

The names of seven parishioners who fell during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.

H Munro Cautley (1876--1959) was an Ipswich architect and author of ‘Suffolk Churches and Their Treasures’. After working in London he returned to Ipswich in 1901 and was Diocesan surveyor for St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. He was the architect for Ipswich Public Library, built in 1924 (Grade II-listed). Munro designed a number of war memorials in Suffolk including the Grade II-listed war memorial in the churchyard of St Mary in Whitton, Ipswich.

Details

First World War memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions.

DESCRIPTION: Bentley War Memorial is located on a grassed area at the junction of Church Road and Station Road.

It is of limestone and takes the form of a tall Latin cross with hexagonal shaft terminating in a splayed foot. The shaft rises from a hexagonal pedestal which in turn surmounts a hexagonal plinth. The plinth is tiered at the top and has a moulded cap. The whole stands on a two-stepped hexagonal base.

The plinth carries the inscriptions and names in incised lettering, painted black. The principal inscription is on the south-west face and reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN THANKFUL/ REMEMBRANCE OF THE/ MEN OF BENTLEY/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR US IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914–1918. On the adjoining west and south faces are the names of the 16 men who died in the First World War, eight to each face.

The Second World War dedication is on the north-east face and reads1939–1945/ (7 NAMES).

The memorial stands within a circular area of cobbles bounded by stone kerbs.


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
Cocke, R, Cocke, S, Public Sculpture of Norfolk and Suffolk, (2013)

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 02 November 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/4384
Bentley Parish Council website, accessed 02 November 2017 from http://www.bentley.onesuffolk.net/assets/Uploads/Bentley-pdf/Mr-Andertons-pages/THE-WAR-MEMORIAL.pdf
War Memorials Online, accessed 27 February 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/118312

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

Print the official list entry