Creeting St Mary War Memorial

St Mary's Churchyard, Church Lane, Creeting St Mary, Suffolk

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

Overview

First World War memorial, unveiled on 15 February 1920, with Second World War additions. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1452671
Date first listed:: 02-Feb-2018
List Entry Name:: Creeting St Mary War Memorial
Statutory Address:: St Mary's Churchyard, Church Lane, Creeting St Mary, Suffolk

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1452671
Date first listed:: 02-Feb-2018
List Entry Name:: Creeting St Mary War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: St Mary's Churchyard, Church Lane, Creeting St Mary, Suffolk

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:: St Mary's Churchyard, Church Lane, Creeting St Mary, Suffolk

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

County:: Suffolk
District:: Mid Suffolk (District Authority)
Parish:: Creeting St. Mary
National Grid Reference:: TM0936856687

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled on 15 February 1920, with Second World War additions.

Reasons for Designation

Creeting St Mary War Memorial, which is situated in St Mary’s 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.

Architectural interest:

* a well-executed wheel-head cross memorial.

Group value:

* with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Mary.

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 Creeting St Mary as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 16 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was unveiled on 15 February 1920 by Lieutenant-Colonel Wylde. The memorial was erected by Mr E E Saunders of Ipswich, who built several other war memorials in the Suffolk area, including the Grade II-listed Framsden War Memorial.

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

Details

First World War memorial, 1920, with Second World War additions.

DESCRIPTION: Creeting St Mary War Memorial is located in the churchyard, to the south of the Church of St Mary (Grade II*-listed).

The memorial is of Cornish granite and comprises a tall, wheel-head cross with a tapering shaft; the cross and shaft are inset to the north face and the cross-head has a raised circular boss at its centre. The shaft rises from a four-sided, tapering plinth, which surmounts a single-step chamfered base.

The plinth carries the inscriptions and names in leaded lettering. The main inscription is to the north face of the plinth and reads, TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF THIS/ CHURCH AND PARISH/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ IN THE/ GREAT WAR./ 1914 – 1919/ “THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE”. The names of the 16 servicemen who died in the conflict are recorded on the east and west faces of the plinth, eight to each face.

The Second World War dedication is to the south face and reads, ALSO OF/ THE FOLLOWING WHO FELL/ IN THE/ SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939 - 1945 (4 NAMES).

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

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 27 February 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/256318
War Memorials Register, accessed 16 November 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/4729

Legal

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