Leaton War Memorial
B5667, Leaton Heath, Leaton, Shrewsbury
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1461734
- Date first listed:
- 09-Jan-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Leaton War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- B5667, Leaton Heath, Leaton, Shrewsbury
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1461734
- Date first listed:
- 09-Jan-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Leaton War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- B5667, Leaton Heath, Leaton, Shrewsbury
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:
- B5667, Leaton Heath, Leaton, Shrewsbury
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Shropshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Bomere Heath and District
- National Grid Reference:
- SJ4637418624
Summary
A First World War memorial erected in 1920 or 1921.
Reasons for Designation
Leaton War Memorial 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 made in the First World War.
Architectural interest:
* a well-executed Latin cross with a sword of sacrifice, loosely derived from the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield’s ‘Cross of Sacrifice’ for the Imperial (now Commonwealth) War Graves Commission.
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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Leaton Heath to the north-east of Shrewsbury as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 11 local men who lost their lives in the First World War, and to also commemorate all of those from this community who served in the conflict.
The memorial was made by Mr GL Harding at a cost of around £200. It was built to the Cross of Sacrifice design which was devised in 1919 by Sir Reginald Blomfield (1856-1942) for war cemeteries abroad, although it was also widely adopted in Britain. The memorial was unveiled in 1920 or 1921 by Brigadier General VJ Campbell, VC, CMG, DSO and dedicated by the Archdeacon of Shrewsbury. A few years later, four girls were charged with damaging the memorial by carving their initials into it. The memorial was cleaned and the inscriptions re-cut in 2007.
Details
A First World War memorial erected in 1920 or 1921.
MATERIALS: Horton stone.
DESCRIPTION: located at the junction of the B5067 and the road to the neighbouring village of Fitz. It consists of a stone Latin cross, bearing a metal sword of sacrifice. The cross rises from an octagonal plinth on a three-stepped base. Each face of the plinth is recessed and carries an inscription in incised lettering.
The main inscription reads: TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ IN PROUD MEMORY/ OF ELEVEN MEN/ OF LEATON/ WHO GAVE THEIR/ LIVES FOR/ THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918./ THEIR NAME LIVETH/ FOR EVERMORE. The east and south faces record the names of the fallen under the heading KILLED IN ACTION/ OR DIED. The remaining faces list the names of the servicemen who returned from the conflict.
The war memorial stands on a gravelled area at the corner of the road junction with a curved dwarf stone wall to the rear. A modern metal crash barrier protects the memorial from road traffic.
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Online: 109933, accessed 27 November 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/109933/
Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register: 13877, accessed 27 November 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/13877
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 09-Jun-2026 at 18:50:56.
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.