Bewdley War Memorial
Churchyard of the Church of St Leonard, Ribbesford, Bewdley, Worcestershire, DY12 2TQ
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1461566
- Date first listed:
- 16-Jan-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Bewdley War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Leonard, Ribbesford, Bewdley, Worcestershire, DY12 2TQ
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1461566
- Date first listed:
- 16-Jan-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Bewdley War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Leonard, Ribbesford, Bewdley, Worcestershire, DY12 2TQ
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Leonard, Ribbesford, Bewdley, Worcestershire, DY12 2TQ
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Worcestershire
- District:
- Wyre Forest (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Ribbesford
- National Grid Reference:
- SO7864074033
Summary
First World War memorial, erected in 1920.
Reasons for Designation
Bewdley War Memorial at the Church of St Leonard, Ribbesford 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 sacrifice it has made in the First World War.
Architectural interest:
* it is a dignified commemorative structure that is well carved.
Group value:
* with the Grade I-listed Church of St Leonard and the Banks Memorial and the Seager and Baker Memorials which are listed at Grade II.
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 Ribbesford as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 76 men of Bewdley who lost their lives in the First World War. The war memorial was unveiled on Sunday 11 April 1920 by the Archdeacon of Hereford.
Details
A First World War memorial, erected in 1920.
DESCRIPTION: The memorial stands within the churchyard to the north of the Church of St Leonard (Grade I), the mother church for Bewdley. It comprises a small Latin cross with capped arms on a tapering square column with a carved capital set upon a square pedestal with a moulded cornice and a three-stepped base. It stands approximately 5m high. The main inscription in incised lettering on the east face of the pedestal reads TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF/ THE SEVENTY SIX MEN/ OF BEWDLEY WHO GAVE THEIR/ LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919.
Sources
Websites
Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register: 32440, accessed 16 November 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/32440
War Memorials Online: 230180, accessed 16 November 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/230180/
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 17-Jun-2026 at 16:02:28.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.