Fairburn War Memorial

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

Overview

First World War memorial of 1924 in the form of a Portland stone obelisk set on an inscribed plinth including an inscription for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1462330
Date first listed:: 19-Feb-2019
List Entry Name:: Fairburn War Memorial

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1462330
Date first listed:: 19-Feb-2019
List Entry Name:: Fairburn War Memorial
Location Description:: Sited on the east side of the A1246, opposite the junction between Gauk Street and Great North Road, Fairburn, North Yorkshire, WF11 9LF.

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

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

District:: North Yorkshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Fairburn
National Grid Reference:: SE4732227954

Summary

First World War memorial of 1924 in the form of a Portland stone obelisk set on an inscribed plinth including an inscription for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Fairburn War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following reasons:

Historical interest: * as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest: * as a good example of a small, obelisk-style war memorial.

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 erected at Fairburn in 1924 as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community. It commemorates ten local servicemen who died during the First World War. Following the Second World War, a matching inscription was added to commemorate the eight servicemen who died in that conflict.

Originally sited at the principal road junction within the village, in 1958 it was moved from this busy roadside location, by that time the A1 main road, to the churchyard of the village’s church of St James. Following the upgrading of the A1, bypassing the village, the memorial was returned to its original site in 2013.

Details

War memorial, 1924.

MATERIALS: Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is in the form of a simple obelisk set on a plinth that is inscribed on two faces: The memorial is relatively small, standing about 4m tall, and is raised up on a single step.

The west face carries the inscription:

TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF THE FOLLOWING MEN FROM THIS PARISH WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918.

Followed by ten names

GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.

The north face carries the nearly identical inscription, just replacing 'Great War 1914-1918' with 'WAR 1939-1945' followed by eight names.

Sources

Websites
Imperial War Museum, War Memorials Register , accessed 15 Jan 2019 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/30998

Legal

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