Haughton War Memorial

Summary

A First World War memorial cross of 1920 by W.D Caröe with later Second World War additions.

Reasons for Designation

Haughton War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:
* As an accomplished and well-realised war memorial cross with good detailing, by the noted architect W.D Caröe.

Historic interest:
* As an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20.

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. One such memorial was raised at Haughton 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 commemorates 11 local servicemen who died during the First World War. Following the Second World War, a dedication was added to commemorate the one fallen of that conflict.

The proposal for a memorial to the fallen at Haughton was raised at a Parish Council meeting in October 1916. The memorial, which was unveiled in April 1920, was designed by W.D Caröe and built by Messrs Clary and Wright of Ipswich. The dedication ceremony commenced with wreath-laying and was followed by hymns and speeches before the memorial was dedicated by Rev. R St C Page, the Vicar of Seighford.
The memorial’s designer, Mr Caröe, had been appointed as an architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, becoming Senior Architect in 1895. A member of the Art Workers’ Guild, he ran a very successful London practice, winning both ecclesiastical and secular commissions. In addition to architectural work, he also designed a number of important church monuments, including those to Archbishop Temple in Canterbury Cathedral, Bishop Owen in St David’s Cathedral, Bishop Ridding in Southwell Cathedral, and Bishop Satterlee and Bishop Harding in Washington Cathedral, USA.

The memorial was originally sited on the corner of Newport Road and Brazenhill Lane. It was relocated to its current site in 1977 in commemoration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee, and a rededication service was held on 18 September of that year.

In 2016 the memorial was conserved with grant aid from War Memorials Trust and Staffordshire Local Community Fund.

Details

A First World War memorial cross of 1920 by W.D Caröe with later Second World War additions.

MATERIALS: constructed of Clipsham limestone.

DESCRIPTION: located on the corner of Newport Road and Royds Close, where it was moved in 1977 (formerly positioned on the corner of Newport Road and Brazenhill Lane). The memorial takes the form of a Latin cross rising from a plinth on an octagonal three-stepped base. An arrow, the symbol of St Giles, is carved in relief on the cross head (and relates to the nearby Church of St Giles, listed at Grade II*).

INSCRIPTION: the front face of the plinth bears the incised inscription: WENT THE DAY WELL/ WE DIED AND NEVER KNEW/ BUT WELL OR ILL + +/ ENGLAND WE DIED FOR YOU. The south face of the top step of the base is inscribed: 1914 + 1919; with the 11 names of the fallen inscribed on the step below. The east face of the top step is inscribed: 1939 + 1945; with the name of the fallen in that conflict inscribed below. The north face of the top step is inscribed: THIS MEMORIAL WAS/ RESITED DURING/ THE SILVER JUBILEE YEAR OF/QUEEN ELIZABETH II IN 1977.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Trust Grants, accessed 4 January 2018 from http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=1380
War Memorials Online, accessed 4 January 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/199015
Imperial War Museum, accessed 4 January 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/29058

Other
Haughton Parish Council Minute Books of Annual Parish Meetings, 1894-1983, – Staffordshire Record Office – D6262/1/7
‘War Memorial at Haughton’, Staffordshire Advertiser, (10 April 1920), 4

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