Darsham War Memorial

The churchyard, Church of All Saints, The Street, Darsham, Suffolk, IP17 3QA

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

Overview

First World War memorial cross, unveiled 1920, 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:: 1452682
Date first listed:: 26-Feb-2018
List Entry Name:: Darsham War Memorial
Statutory Address:: The churchyard, Church of All Saints, The Street, Darsham, Suffolk, IP17 3QA

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1452682
Date first listed:: 26-Feb-2018
List Entry Name:: Darsham War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: The churchyard, Church of All Saints, The Street, Darsham, Suffolk, IP17 3QA

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, Church of All Saints, The Street, Darsham, Suffolk, IP17 3QA

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

County:: Suffolk
District:: East Suffolk (District Authority)
Parish:: Darsham
National Grid Reference:: TM4207669921

Summary

First World War memorial cross, unveiled 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Darsham War Memorial, which stands outside the parish church, 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 slender memorial cross on a substantial base, the finely dressed white marble is a strong visual contrast to the rubble walling in local materials of the church wall behind.

Group value:

* with the Church of All Saints (Grade I) and a number of Grade II-listed buildings in close proximity.

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 Darsham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 16 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. A parish meeting held in June 1919 decided on a cross, which was built a year later. Designed by Mr Calver of Halesworth, it was erected by Mr Fred Barber (builder). The memorial was dedicated on Sunday 27 June 1920, unveiled by Mrs Parry-Crooke and Mrs Hambling. The names of four parishioners who died during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.

Details

The tall memorial stands in the churchyard, outside the west wall of the Church of All Saints (Grade I-listed). It is carved from white Sicilian marble. The memorial comprises a Latin cross rising from the moulded collar of a tapering octagonal shaft. The cross head is ornamented with a small cross floretty carved in low relief. The cross shaft stands on a five-stepped base.

The main inscription in applied metal lettering on the west face of the stepped base reads

(top step) THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1919 (second step) IN HONOURED MEMORY/ OF OUR FALLEN/ HEROES (third step) (5 NAMES) (fourth step) (11 NAMES)/ “THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE.”

A further inscription in raised leaded lettering on the south face of the stepped base reads

(second step) THE WORLD WAR/ 1939-1945/ IN MEMORY OF (third step) (4 NAMES)/ “THEY DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE.”

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 15 June 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/117229/
War Memorials Register, accessed 15 June 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/5475
Other
"Dedication of War Memorials", East Anglian Daily Times, 29 June 1920, p4
"War Memorial", The Leiston Observer, 28 June 1919

Legal

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