Compton Abdale War Memorial

Entrance to Church of St Oswald, Main Road, Compton Abdale, Gloucestershire, GL54 4DS

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Overview

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

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1463484
Date first listed:: 12-Apr-2019
List Entry Name:: Compton Abdale War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Entrance to Church of St Oswald, Main Road, Compton Abdale, Gloucestershire, GL54 4DS

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1463484
Date first listed:: 12-Apr-2019
List Entry Name:: Compton Abdale War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Entrance to Church of St Oswald, Main Road, Compton Abdale, Gloucestershire, GL54 4DS

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:: Entrance to Church of St Oswald, Main Road, Compton Abdale, Gloucestershire, GL54 4DS

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

County:: Gloucestershire
District:: Cotswold (District Authority)
Parish:: Compton Abdale
National Grid Reference:: SP0604116588

Summary

First World War memorial, built after 1919.

Reasons for Designation

Compton Abdale 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 conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* as a simple yet elegant example of a plain wheel-head cross type of memorial.

Group value:

* with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Oswald; the Grade II* and Grade II-listed headstones and tombs in the churchyard; and several structures and buildings nearby which are listed 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 Compton Abdale as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by six members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War as well as commemorating a further 19 servicemen who served and returned.

The memorial was possibly built by Messrs James Green and Son, who were also involved with the Grade II-listed war memorials at Denwick and Embleton in Northumberland. In 1948 the base of the memorial was repaired and further works took place in 1979 and 1980. The memorial was cleaned in collaboration with War Memorials Trust in 2018.

Details

First World War memorial, built after 1919.

MATERIALS: Cotswold stone.

DESCRIPTION: Compton Abdale War Memorial is located on the embankment adjacent to the path leading to the Grade II*-listed Church of St Oswald. Two Grade II and one Grade II*-listed monuments are situated within the churchyard, and the memorial is also located within close proximity to several other Grade II-listed buildings and structures in the village.

The memorial, built from Cotswold stone, consists of a wheel-headed cross on a tapering shaft. A small Latin cross in a roundel is carved in low relief at the intersection of the cross-head. The cross shaft rises from a chamfered plinth, square on plan, on a three-stepped base.

The north face of the plinth bears the incised inscription: ERECTED TO THE / MEMORY OF THE MEN / OF THIS PARISH WHO / FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918 / followed by the names of the six fallen and THEIR NAME WILL LIVE FOR EVERMORE. The east and west faces read THE FOLLOWING / MEN SERVED IN THE / GREAT WAR followed by the names of those who served and returned.

Sources

Websites
Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register – Compton Abdale Cross WWI, accessed 06/03/2019 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/20758
War Memorials Online – Compton Abdale , accessed 06/03/2019 from www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/225389
Other
'Compton Memorial in Need of Repair', Gloucestershire Echo, (3 March 1948), p1

Legal

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