Goldington War Memorial

c55m north of Goldington Green Lower School, Goldington Green, Goldington Road, Goldington, Bedfordshire, MK41 0AN

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

First World War memorial cross, unveiled 1919, with later additions. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1458165
Date first listed:: 29-Aug-2018
List Entry Name:: Goldington War Memorial
Statutory Address:: c55m north of Goldington Green Lower School, Goldington Green, Goldington Road, Goldington, Bedfordshire, MK41 0AN

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1458165
Date first listed:: 29-Aug-2018
List Entry Name:: Goldington War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: c55m north of Goldington Green Lower School, Goldington Green, Goldington Road, Goldington, Bedfordshire, MK41 0AN

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: c55m north of Goldington Green Lower School, Goldington Green, Goldington Road, Goldington, Bedfordshire, MK41 0AN

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: Bedford (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: TL0759050576

Summary

First World War memorial cross, unveiled 1919, with later additions.

Reasons for Designation

Goldington War Memorial, which stands on Goldington Green, 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:

* an imposing war memorial cross in Portland stone, designed by Kensington Gammel ARIBA.

Group value:

* with Goldington Hall (Grade II-listed).

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 Goldington as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 34 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial, the funds for which were raised by public subscription, was designed by Mr K Gammell and unveiled on 27 December 1919 by the Reverend FR Dunne. Following the end of the Second World War the names of 17 service personnel who died in that conflict were added to the memorial, including Janice Harrington, a flight engineer in the Air Transport Auxiliary, who died in 1944 when her aircraft crashed.

The name of one soldier who died in Northern Ireland in 1981 has been added to the memorial, listed with the First World War names.

The memorial originally stood on a concrete base which was sloped to discourage cattle, but was not enclosed.

Kensington Gammell ARIBA (fl. 1890-1914) commenced his independent architectural practice in 1898. He had been articled to SJ Wilde (Weston-Super- Mare, 1890-1894), and was Assistant to WV Gough (1894-1896), LJ Phipps (1896-1897), and IS Price (1897-1898). During the early-twentieth century he was based in Bedford and became ARIBA in 1901. He also designed Stagsden War Memorial.

Details

The c4.5m tall Portland stone memorial cross stands on the south side of Goldington Green, opposite Goldington Green Lower School (unlisted), and c170m south-east of Goldington Hall (Grade II-listed). It takes the form of a Latin cross with a tapering shaft, rising from a tapering pedestal.

The front (south) face of the cross-head bears the inscription 1914/ IN MEMORIAM/ 1919 carved in relief. A large bronze wreath is fixed to the front of the cross-head. Names are listed in recessed panels at the foot of the cross-shaft to the east, south, and west faces. Set within a recessed panel on the south face of the pedestal is the inscription 1939 – 1945/ (17 NAMES).

The memorial stands on a raised paved platform enclosed by a low wall and with shallow steps to the south providing access to the cross.

Sources

Books and journals
Felstead, A, Directory of British Architects 1834 to 1914 Volume 1 A-K, (2001)
Websites
Roll of Honour - Bedfordshire, Goldington, accessed 17 August 2017 from www.roll-of-honour.com/Bedfordshire/GoldingtonRollofHonour.html
War Memorials Register, accessed 19 June 2018 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/1723
Other
“Goldington War Memorial”, Bedfordshire Times and Independent, 2 January 1920, p5.

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.