Witheridge War Memorial

Witheridge War Memorial, St John the Baptist Church, Church Street, Witheridge, Devon, EX16 8AF

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Overview

A First World War memorial, built after 1919; altered after the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1462916
Date first listed:: 08-Mar-2019
List Entry Name:: Witheridge War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Witheridge War Memorial, St John the Baptist Church, Church Street, Witheridge, Devon, EX16 8AF

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1462916
Date first listed:: 08-Mar-2019
List Entry Name:: Witheridge War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Witheridge War Memorial, St John the Baptist Church, Church Street, Witheridge, Devon, EX16 8AF

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

Statutory Address:: Witheridge War Memorial, St John the Baptist Church, Church Street, Witheridge, Devon, EX16 8AF

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

County:: Devon
District:: North Devon (District Authority)
Parish:: Witheridge
National Grid Reference:: SS8033714544

Summary

A First World War memorial, built after 1919; altered after the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Witheridge War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the Church of St John the Baptist, 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 local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20; *Architectural interest: as a fine example of a rough-hewn granite cross with relief-carved decoration; *Group value: with the Church of St John the Baptist (Grade I), the churchyard gate piers, gates and railings (Grade II) and the nearby K6 telephone kiosk (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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Witheridge as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 17 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The names of the five parishioners who fell during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.

Details

A First World War memorial, built after 1919; altered after the Second World War.

MATERIALS Granite.

DESCRIPTION The memorial stands in a prominent roadside location inside the railings (listed Grade II) on the southern edge of the churchyard of the Grade I-listed Church of St John the Baptist. A gate is set in the railings at this point, and a short flight of steps leads to the memorial from the adjacent pavement.

The memorial comprises a roughly-hewn cross in the Celtic style, the face of which is decorated with a relief-carved inverted longsword. The cross stands on a roughly-hewn trapezoidal plinth, on top of a three-stepped base.

The main inscription, in blackened lettering on the smoothed front of the plinth reads: 1914 - 1919 / FOR GOD, KING & COUNTRY / IN MEMORY OF THE FOLLOWING MEN OF THIS PARISH, followed by 17 names in two columns.

Beneath this, on the front face of the upper step of the base, is the additional inscription: 1939 1945, followed by five names in two columns.

Sources

Websites
Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register – Witheridge Church , accessed 07/02/2019 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/25990
War Memorials Online – Witheridge Church WW1 & WW2 , accessed 07/02/2019 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/

Legal

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