Lower Beeding War Memorial

Church of Holy Trinity churchyard, Sandygate Lane, Lower Beeding, West Sessex, RH13 6LR

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

Overview

Memorial cross, likely to date from the 1890s, later converted into a First World War memorial. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1462995
Date first listed:: 26-Apr-2019
List Entry Name:: Lower Beeding War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Church of Holy Trinity churchyard, Sandygate Lane, Lower Beeding, West Sessex, RH13 6LR

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1462995
Date first listed:: 26-Apr-2019
List Entry Name:: Lower Beeding War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Church of Holy Trinity churchyard, Sandygate Lane, Lower Beeding, West Sessex, RH13 6LR

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:: Church of Holy Trinity churchyard, Sandygate Lane, Lower Beeding, West Sessex, RH13 6LR

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

County:: West Sussex
District:: Horsham (District Authority)
Parish:: Lower Beeding
National Grid Reference:: TQ2204327416

Summary

Memorial cross, likely to date from the 1890s, later converted into a First World War memorial.

Reasons for Designation

Lower Beeding 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 the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the First World War.

Architectural interest:

* unusual as an adaptation of an existing late-C19 memorial cross, of a form that is entirely appropriate as a war memorial.

Group value:

* with the Grade II listed Church of the Holy Trinity.

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 dedicated at Lower Beeding as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The memorial cross was originally built in memory to Jane Clifford Hubbard, who died in 1892, and is likely to date from this period. Following the First World War the cross was converted into the village’s war memorial.

Details

Memorial cross, likely to date from the 1890s, later converted into a First World War memorial.

MATERIALS: limestone with a bronze plaque;

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located to the south-east of the Grade II listed Parish Church of the Holy Trinity, within the churchyard.

It consists of a lantern cross on a tapering, square-section, shaft. This rises from a square pedestal with a carved quatrefoil tracery design on each face and a splayed foot. The whole is set on a two-stepped octagonal base.

The west face of the foot of the shaft is inscribed THIS CROSS/ WAS USED AS A/ WAR SHRINE/ 1914 – 1919. The names of the 26 fallen from the First World War are recorded on the remaining faces of the foot of the cross shaft. A bronze plaque is set into the south face of the pedestal and bears an inscription in Old English lettering which commemorates Jane Clifford Hubbard. This reads WE PRAISE THEE O GOD/ FOR ALL THY SERVANTS WHO HAVE/ DEPARTED THIS LIFE IN THY FAITH/ & REST & SLEEP THE SLEEP OF PEACE/ ESPECIALLY FOR THY SERVANT/ JANE CLIFFORD HUBBARD/ WHO RESTS IN THIS CHURCHYARD/ WITH MANY WHOM SHE LOVED WELL/ & WHOSE NAMES (?)… HERE/ BE WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE/ ANNO D… MDCCCXCII.

Sources

Websites
Imperial War Museum Register of War Memorials: 16753 - Holy Trinity Church Cross, accessed 7 February 2019 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/16753
War Memorials Online: 220945 - Lower Beeding Cross, accessed 7 February 2019 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/220945

Legal

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