Calderbridge War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, 1920, with Second World War additions.

Reasons for Designation

Calderbridge War Memorial, which is situated in St Bridget’s Churchyard, Calderbridge, 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 ornate and well-executed red sandstone Celtic cross.

Group value:

* with the Grade II-listed Church of St Bridget and the Grade II-listed Cauder House.

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 Calderbridge as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Calderbridge War Memorial was situated within the churchyard. The memorial commemorates 12 local servicemen who fell in the First World War and seven men who fell in the Second World War.

The memorial was designed and made by Mr Smith, monumental mason of Whitehaven, who also made the war memorial for Beckermet Cemetery in the same area (formerly two halves of the same parish). The memorial was made of red sandstone to match the red sandstone used in the church. It was unveiled on 5 September 1920 by Mrs Rymer, and dedicated by the Vicar.

The faculty for the addition of Second World War names was granted in 1948.

Details

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

MATERIALS: red sandstone.

DESCRIPTION: Calderbridge War Memorial is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Bridget, A595, Calderbridge, Cumbria. It is prominently situated south of the church entrance, facing the main road junction in the heart of the hamlet. It comprises a red sandstone wheel-head Celtic cross with stylised relief-carved strap- and ball-work to the cross and shaft, with a dedication in relief-carved lettering to the base of the shaft front, surmounting a tapering four-sided plinth with relief-carved inscriptions, on a narrow two-stepped square base.

The inscription is in relief-carved lettering and reads IN SACRED/ MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF/ ST BRIDGET'S/ PARISH/ WHO GAVE/ THEIR LIVES// FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN THE/ GREAT EUROPEAN WAR 1914 – 1919/ (NAMES)// THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE/ ECCLUS.XLIV.14// IN MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO LOST THEIR LIVES/ IN THE SECOND WORLD/ WAR 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES).

Sources

Websites
The Second World War, ‘The ‘Fallen’ of St Bridget (Beckermet), Cumbria’, accessed 2 April 2018 from http://2ndww.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-fallen-of-st-john-beckermet-cumbria.html
War Memorial Register, accessed 2 April 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/3945
War Memorials Online, accessed 2 April 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/169366/

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