Cumwhinton War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, 1922, within a semi-circular walled enclosure.

Reasons for Designation

Cumwhinton War Memorial, which is situated in a small roadside enclosure adjacent to St John’s Hall, on the north side of B6263, 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 a simple but well-executed Aberdeen granite Celtic cross in a prominent roadside enclosure.

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

Cumwhinton War Memorial commemorates 10 local servicemen who fell (and 45 who served) in the First World War and one man who fell in the Second World War. It was made by J W Reed, Sculptor, of Newcastle, and erected by Mr J Miller of Cumwhinton. It was unveiled on 30 April 1922 by Mrs Coulson of Cumwhinton. The stone walled enclosure was presumably part of the original design as its semi-circular plan can be seen on the 1925 Ordnance Survey map.

Details

First World War memorial, 1922, within a semi-circular walled enclosure.

MATERIALS: Aberdeen granite.

DESCRIPTION: Cumwhinton War Memorial is located in a small roadside enclosure adjacent to St John’s Hall, on the north side of B6263, Cumwhinton, Cumbria. It is prominently situated facing the main road. It comprises an infilled wheel-head polished Aberdeen granite cross (with relief-carved bosses to the head) on a tapering shaft and a tapering four-sided plinth enclosed by a cairn made of rough-hewn irregular stones. The memorial stands within a stone walled semi-circular enclosure, with a low stone wall along the roadside frontage, topped with metal railings and furnished with an entrance comprising a pair of stone capped piers and a metal gate.

The lower shaft and the plinth bears the inscriptions in leaded lettering. The inscription reads: IN/ MEMORY/ OF/ (NAMES)/ WHO WERE KILLED/ IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 1919// 1914 AND OF THESE MEN WHO ALSO SERVED 1919/ (NAMES)/ “THEY WERE A WALL UNTO US/ BOTH BY NIGHT AND DAY”/1. SAM.XXIV.16// 1939-1945/ (NAME)/ KILLED IN ACTION 1942.// J W Reed/ Newcastle.

Sources

Websites
War Memorial Register, accessed 2 April 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/4283
War Memorials Online, accessed 2 April 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/177027/

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