Stoke Goldington and Gayhurst War Memorial

Summary

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

Reasons for Designation

Stoke Goldington and Gayhurst War Memorial, which stands on Stoke Goldington High 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 conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* a simple yet poignant wheel-head cross.

Group value:

* with numerous adjacent Grade II-listed buildings including 10, High Street, The Bakehouse, The Old Thatched Cottage, and Eaton Beeches.

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 Stoke Goldington as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 31 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was unveiled on 28 March 1920 by the Bishop of Buckingham. A photograph taken between 1925 and 1936 shows that the green on which the memorial stands was once enclosed by a timber fence and that access to the memorial was from the west. Following the Second World War, the names of three local men who died in that conflict were added to the memorial.

Details

The Portland stone memorial stands on the green area at the junction of Westside Lane and High Street, adjacent to numerous Grade II-listed buildings. It comprises a two-stepped square base, surmounted by a square-sectioned tapering plinth with incised inscription panels. The cross shaft, octagonal in section and with a moulded foot and collar, supports the wheel-head cross. The cross-head arms are terminated by carved flower heads.

The principal dedicatory inscription to the front (east) face of the plinth reads THIS MEMORIAL/ WAS ERECTED BY/ THE INHABITANTS OF/ STOKE GOLDINGTON AND GAYHURST/ IN MEMORY OF THEIR HEROES/ WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR. 1914-1919./ WORLD WAR. 1939-1945. The commemorated names are listed on the north and west sides, grouped by year of death. An inscription to the south side reads GREATER LOVE/ HATH NO MAN, THAN THIS./ THAT A MAN LAY DOWN/ HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIEND.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 28 April 2018 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/8251
Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre - Kitchener Collection, accessed 24 August 2017 from http://www.mkcdc.org.uk/kitchener/object-details-page/280677/

Other
North Bucks Standard, 3 April 1920

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