Cardinham War Memorial

Summary

A First World War memorial, erected in the 1920s; altered after the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Cardinham war memorial 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:

* for its design, a well-executed Celtic cross.

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 750,000 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 Cardinham, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 15 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The names of two parishioners who died during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial. Two brothers from the distinguished St Aubyn family (nephews of John St Aubyn, 2nd Baronet of St Michael’s Mount) fell in the conflicts.

Details

A First World War memorial, erected in the 1920s; altered after the Second World War.

MATERIALS: granite.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in the cemetery connected to the Parish Church of St Meubred (Grade I), located beyond the church itself on the east side of the road leading south from the village centre. The memorial is a wheel-head Celtic cross with carved knotwork to the head and shaft. The head comprises ‘triqueta’ patterns within the arms and scroll decoration on the shaft on the east and west faces; and further scrollwork on the north and south (side) faces. The cross stands on a tapering plinth on a two-stepped platform, surrounded by a gravelled area with kerbed edges. The principal face (west) of the plinth is inscribed in black lettering: THE WORLD WAR/ 1914 - 1919/ GIVEN BY THEIR FELLOW PARISHIONERS/ IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE MEN OF/ CARDYNHAM/ WHO GAVE THEIR ALL FOR/ ENGLAND, RIGHT AND FREEDOM; the north side lists six of the men who fell below the dates 1916 and 1917; and the south side lists the nine who fell inscribed under the date 1918. The rear face (east) is inscribed with the names of the two men who fell in the Second World War under the dates 1939-1945.

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
Imperial War Museums War Memorials Register - Cardinham (26138), accessed 22/12/2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/26138
Cornwall’s War History, Cardinham (includes details of the fallen), accessed 22/12/2017 from http://www.cornwallswarhistory.co.uk/maps/war-memorials-2/cardinham/
War Memorials Online, accessed 27 February 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/256197

End of official list entry

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