Benhall War Memorial Cross

The churchyard, St Mary's Church, Deadman's Lane, Benhall, Suffolk, IP17 1JL

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

First World War memorial cross, unveiled 1921. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1452390
Date first listed:: 02-Feb-2018
List Entry Name:: Benhall War Memorial Cross
Statutory Address:: The churchyard, St Mary's Church, Deadman's Lane, Benhall, Suffolk, IP17 1JL

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1452390
Date first listed:: 02-Feb-2018
List Entry Name:: Benhall War Memorial Cross
Statutory Address 1:: The churchyard, St Mary's Church, Deadman's Lane, Benhall, Suffolk, IP17 1JL

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, Deadman's Lane, Benhall, Suffolk, IP17 1JL

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

County:: Suffolk
District:: East Suffolk (District Authority)
Parish:: Benhall
National Grid Reference:: TM3719961850

Summary

First World War memorial cross, unveiled 1921.

Reasons for Designation

Benhall War Memorial Cross, 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 First World War.

Architectural interest:

* an imposing war memorial cross in Portland stone, in the Celtic style; * unusually, the memorial has not been adapted for Second World War commemoration, and thus retains its original design intent.

Group value:

* with the Church of St Mary (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 raised at Benhall as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 19 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 4 September 1921 by Major-General WEB Smith. The community’s Second World War dead are commemorated on stone tablet in the church, unveiled in 1946.

Details

The memorial stands in a prominent position in the churchyard, beside the south porch of the Church of St Mary (Grade II*). It comprises a blind wheel-head cross rising from a tapering plinth, with a two-stepped base. The front face of the cross bears a reversed sword carved in low relief. The Portland stone memorial stands approximately 3.3m high.

The principal dedicatory inscription to the front face of the plinth reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO FELL IN THE WAR/ 1914–1918/ (19 NAMES)/ “GOD PROVED THEM AND FOUND THEM WORTHY OF HIMSELF.”

Sources

Websites
Roll of Honour - Benhall, Suffolk, accessed 9 November 2017 from http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Suffolk/Benhall.html
War Memorials Online, accessed 6 July 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/117269/
War Memorials Register, accessed 6 July 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/5435

Legal

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