Hopwas War Memorial

Summary

A First World War memorial, made by Mitchell and Sons, Tamworth, unveiled on 12 October 1919; altered by the addition of names from the Second World War in about 1947.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial at the Church of St Chad in Hopwas 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 church’s community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* for its design, a well-executed granite memorial with elaborate carved detailing.

Group value:

* with the Grade II-listed Church of St Chad, in whose churchyard it stands.

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 750,000 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 the Church of St Chad in Hopwas, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the men of Hopwas, Coton and Alders, who lost their lives in the First World War.

The cost of the war memorial, which was made by Mitchell and Sons of Tamworth, was raised by subscription, and it was unveiled in a ceremony by Rev W Macgregor on Sunday 12 October 1919.

Details

A First World War memorial, made by Mitchell and Sons, Tamworth, unveiled on 12 October 1919; altered by the addition of names from the Second World War in about 1947.

MATERIALS: Peterhead granite.

DESCRIPTION: A Celtic cross with a tapering shaft, 12 feet (about 4m) high, with a shallow foot set on a tapering plinth, the whole on a three-stepped base. The head of the cross is carved with interlacing. The tapered sides of the plinth have carved laurel wreaths on consoles. The inscriptions are incised, and picked out in black lettering. The shaft is inscribed in an elaborate Gothic font THEIR / NAME / LIVETH FOR / EVERMORE. [sic]. The foot is inscribed TO THE GLORY OF GOD. The plinth is inscribed with the names and ranks of the 22 dead, and the months in which they lost their lives, below the inscription AND IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF HOPWAS / COTON AND ALDERS, WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN / THE GREAT WAR FOR HONOUR AND FREEDOM. The first step of the base carries the names of the six men who fell in the Second World War, under the inscription ALSO IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN WORLD WAR / 1939-1945.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online Database, Hopwas Village Memorial WMO110227, accessed 25 July 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/110227/
Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register: Hopwas Village Memorial, accessed 25 July 2018 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/13575

Other
Hopwas War Memorials: Dedication and Unveiling - Tamworth Herald, Saturday 18 October 1919, p. 5
Staffordshire Historic Environment Record 55579: Hopwas, Coton and Alders War Memorial, Church of St Chad, Hopwas

End of official list entry

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