Cartmel War Memorial
Churchyard of St Mary's Priory Church, Priory Close, Cartmel, Cumbria, LA11 6QQ
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1457219
- Date first listed:
- 07-Aug-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Cartmel War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Churchyard of St Mary's Priory Church, Priory Close, Cartmel, Cumbria, LA11 6QQ
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1457219
- Date first listed:
- 07-Aug-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Cartmel War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Churchyard of St Mary's Priory Church, Priory Close, Cartmel, Cumbria, LA11 6QQ
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Churchyard of St Mary's Priory Church, Priory Close, Cartmel, Cumbria, LA11 6QQ
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Westmorland and Furness (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Lower Allithwaite
- National Grid Reference:
- SD3795378782
Summary
First World War memorial, 1920, with Second World War additions.
Reasons for Designation
Cartmel War Memorial, which is located in the churchyard of St Mary’s Priory Church, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* as an elegant and accomplished sandstone Celtic cross.
Group value:
* with the Grade I-listed Church of St Mary and the Grade II-listed Priory House, the Grade II-listed The Larch Tree Ye Priory Shoppe and numerous listed buildings around Priory Close, as well as numerous listed monuments in the churchyard.
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 Cartmel as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Cartmel War Memorial was situated within the priory churchyard. The memorial commemorates 16 local servicemen who fell in the First World War and three men who fell in the Second World War. The memorial was probably designed by Curwen of Kendal and it was unveiled on 5 September 1920 by Lord Richard Cavendish of Holker Hall and dedicated by Archdeacon Lafone.
Details
First World War memorial, 1920.
MATERIALS: sandstone.
DESCRIPTION: Cartmel War Memorial is located in the churchyard of St Mary’s Priory Church, Priory Close, Cartmel, Cumbria. It is prominently situated near the churchyard entrance and close to the south porch entrance to the priory. It comprises a Celtic sandstone cross with strap work carving to head and upper shaft, on a low four-sided plinth and two-stepped square base. The plinth bears the dedication in relief-carved lettering and the shaft bears the names, also in relief lettering.
The inscription reads: (NAMES)/ 1914 – 1919/ (NAMES)/ 1939 – 1945// TO THE MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR.
Sources
Websites
War Memorial Register, accessed 2 April 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/4112
War Memorials Online, accessed 2 April 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/159546/
Other
Cartmel, Memorial Cross, Westmorland Gazette, 11 Sept 1920
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 09-Jun-2026 at 17:03:49.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.