Eriswell War Memorial

Outside the Church of St Lawrence, The Street, Eriswell, Suffolk, IP27 9BH

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

Overview

First World War memorial, unveiled 29 May 1920. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1454112
Date first listed:: 06-Mar-2018
List Entry Name:: Eriswell War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Outside the Church of St Lawrence, The Street, Eriswell, Suffolk, IP27 9BH

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1454112
Date first listed:: 06-Mar-2018
List Entry Name:: Eriswell War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Outside the Church of St Lawrence, The Street, Eriswell, Suffolk, IP27 9BH

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:: Outside the Church of St Lawrence, The Street, Eriswell, Suffolk, IP27 9BH

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

County:: Suffolk
District:: West Suffolk (District Authority)
Parish:: Eriswell
National Grid Reference:: TL7239378015

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 29 May 1920.

Reasons for Designation

Eriswell War Memorial, which is situated outside St Lawrence’s churchyard along The Street, 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.

Architectural interest:

* a well-executed wheel-head cross memorial with a finely carved sword of sacrifice.

Group value:

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

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 Eriswell as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the eight members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was unveiled on 29 May 1920 by Lieutenant-Colonel W E Guinness and dedicated by the rector, Reverend E W Cockell.

Details

First World War memorial, unveiled 1920.

DESCRIPTION: Eriswell War Memorial is located just outside the parish churchyard, to the south-east of the Church of St Lawrence (Grade II*-listed).

It is of grey granite and takes the form of a wheel-head cross with a tapering four-sided shaft. Carved in relief to the east face of the cross-head and upper part of the shaft is an inverted Sword of Sacrifice with trefoils to the pommel and ends of the cross-guard. The shaft rises from a rough-hewn, four-sided, tapering plinth surmounting a single-stepped base.

The dedication is in leaded lettering within a smooth, inset panel on the east face of the plinth and reads ERECTED/ BY THE PARISH OF ERISWELL/ IN MEMORY OF/ (8 NAMES)/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE/ GREAT WAR,/ 1914–1919.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: The memorial stands within a square area of gravel bounded by stone kerbs. The area is enclosed by nine posts with chains between; there is an opening to the east side to allow access to the memorial.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 19 January 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/138334/
War Memorials Register, accessed 19 January 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/4539
Other
‘War Memorial Unveiled at Eriswell’, Bury Free Press, (5 June 1920), pp2

Legal

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