Church of All Hallows War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled in 1918.

Reasons for Designation

Church of All Hallows War Memorial, Savernake Road, Gospel Oak 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;
* as an example of an early First World War memorial which was erected before the end of the conflict.

Architectural interest:

* a well-executed Calvary cross memorial demonstrating good craftsmanship in the sculpted depiction of Christ.

Group value:
* with the Grade II*-listed Church of All Hallows.

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. However, this trend had its roots not in the wake of the war but in the midst of the conflict.

As the war progressed and the number of casualties increased memorials were already being built to remember the dead and those still serving on the battlefields abroad. These took the form of private memorials to family members but also a growing number were being erected by, or on behalf of, local communities. One such memorial was raised at the Church of All Hallows, Gospel Oak as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the church who lost their lives in the First World War. It was unveiled several months prior to the Armistice during Easter 1918. The memorial did not have the names of those who died inscribed, rather these were recorded on a board within the church, which has since gone missing.

Details

First World War memorial, 1918

MATERIALS: wood cross with bronze sculpture, limestone plinth.

DESCRIPTION: Church of All Hallows, War Memorial is located outside of the Church of All Hallows (Grade II*-listed); it is situated adjacent to the entrance to the north-west corner of the site.

It takes the form of a tall, wood Calvary cross incised to the face and surmounted by a gabled canopy; a bronze sculpture depicting Christ on the cross is to the north-west face. The elaborately moulded cross-shaft terminates in a bracketed base. This surmounts a four-sided limestone plinth with chamfered octagonal top and curved concave corners. Relief carved motifs decorate the chamfered sides of the octagonal top. The plinth surmounts a two-stepped, octagonal stone base.

The dedication is carved in relief to the north-west face of the plinth and reads PRAY FOR THE SOULS/ OF THE SERVERS AND/ MEMBERS OF THE CHOIR/ AND CONGREGATION OF/ THIS CHURCH WHO DIED/ IN THE GREAT WAR AND/ IN WHOSE MEMORY THIS/ CROSS WAS DEDICATED/ EASTER A D MCMXVIII/ R.I.P. Text on other faces of the plinth is illegible through weathering.

The memorial stands within an octagonal area bounded by planting and stone kerbs.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 29 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/206442
London Remembers, accessed 29 November 2017 from www.londonremembers.com/memorials/all-hallows-gospel-oak-war-memorial

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