Winchcombe and Sudeley War Memorial

Summary

War memorial, erected 1920 and by F L M Griggs. Further commemorations added for the Second World War and later C20 conflicts.

Reasons for Designation

Winchcombe and Sudeley 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 the quality of the design and craftsmanship of this sombre and well-executed Arts and Crafts-influenced memorial, designed by Frederick Griggs, a notable etcher, artist and illustrator.

Group value:

* with the numerous listed buildings around the memorial as well as the adjacent site of Winchcombe Abbey, a scheduled monument.

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, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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 Winchcombe as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 77 men from the parishes of Winchcombe and Sudeley who lost their lives during the First World War. It was designed by Frederick Landseer Maur Griggs (1876-1938), a notable etcher, artist and illustrator, who designed several other war memorials in the county, including those at Broadway and Painswick. The memorial in Winchcombe, which was carved by Messrs RL Boulton & Sons of Cheltenham, was unveiled by General Sir Ian Hamilton on 4 August 1920, the anniversary of the outbreak of the war.


Further inscriptions were added after the Second World War and also to commemorate servicemen who lost their lives in the Mau Mau Uprising (1952-1964) and in the Northern Ireland Conflict (1969-1998). A small brass plaque records that the war memorial was presented to the Winchcombe branch of the Royal British Legion by the town council in 1998.

Details

War memorial, erected 1920 and by F L M Griggs. Further commemorations added for the Second World War and later C20 conflicts.

MATERIALS: constructed of Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial is prominently sited on Abbey Terrace, which is forms one of the principal routes through Winchcombe. It takes the form of a simple Latin cross on a tall, tapered octagonal shaft which is set in an octagonal plinth upon a three-stepped base. The north-west face of the plinth is inscribed in sans serif lettering: TO THE/ GLORIOUS MEMORY/ OF THE MEN/ FROM THE PARISHES/ OF WINCHCOMBE/ AND SUDELEY/ WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR. Above this, set within a carved laurel wreath, are the dates 1914/ 1918.The other faces carry the NAMES of the Fallen as well as a dedication to those who lost their lives in the Second World War which reads: ALSO/ TO THE GLORIOUS/ MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO FELL IN THE/ SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939-1945/ WHOSE NAMES ARE INSCRIBED BELOW/ (NAMES). The lower section of the plinth is also inscribed with the names of men who died in conflicts in the later C20.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: bollards have been added at each corner in more recent times to protect the memorial from vehicular traffic.

Sources

Websites
Gloucestershire Genealogy, Winchcombe & Sudeley War Memorial, accessed 1 March 2018 from http://www.glosgen.co.uk/warmem/winchcombewm.htm
War Memorials Online, Winchcombe & Sudeley Memorial Cross, accessed 1 March 2018 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/21059
Owlpen Manor Estate, FL Griggs, Etcher 1876-1938, accessed 1 March 2018 from https://owlpen.com/arts/fl-griggs
With the British Army in Flanders & France, Winchcombe War Memorial, accessed 1 March 2018 from http://thebignote.com/2012/02/26/winchcombe-war-memorial/

Other
Winchcombe War Memorial, Cheltenham Chronicle and Gloucestershire Graphic, Saturday August 7 1920

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