Stockton-on-the-Forest War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, 1920, with later addition for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Stockton-on-the-Forest War Memorial, which is situated in Holy Trinity 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.

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 Stockton-on-the-Forest as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 12 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The faculty application to build a war memorial in the parish churchyard was granted on 14 October 1919, and the memorial was erected in the following year. It was designed by Ernest R Walker of York at a cost of £120. The proposals also included improvements to the churchyard entrance; these consisted of the construction of a low brick wall surmounted by oak railings, which terminated in tall brick corner piers with ball finials, along with oak entrance gates and an archway carved with the date 1919. The ball finials and archway have since been removed while the oak railings and gates have been replaced with metal versions.

In 2002 the name of an RAF serviceman who died in the Second World War was added to the memorial.

Details

First World War memorial, 1920, with later addition for the Second World War.

DESCRIPTION: Stockton-on-the-Forest War Memorial is located at the entrance to Holy Trinity churchyard, adjacent to the main path leading to the church.

It is of Portland Stone and takes the form of a wheel-head cross with chamfered edges on a tapering, four-sided shaft. This rises from a tapering, four-sided plinth, which surmounts a three-stepped octagonal base.

To the north-west face of the plinth is an inset panel, carved into a pointed arch with cusp detail, which contains the principal inscription in raised lettering IN SACRED/ AND UNDYING/ MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO FELL FOR THEIR/ COUNTRY – 1914 – 1919/ (12 NAMES).

A later dedication for the Second World War was added to an inset panel on the south-west face of the plinth, also in raised lettering, and reads 1939 1945 (1 NAME).

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 12 February 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/136558/
War Memorials Register, accessed 12 February 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/30849

Other
Stockton on Forest, York, War Memorial Plan, July 1919 (Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York, 1919B/63)
Faculty for the Erection of Stockton on the Forest War Memorial and Improvements to Entrance of the Churchyard, 14 October 1919 (Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York, PR ST/F19)

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