Whitwick War Memorial

Churchyard of St John the Baptist, Junction of Church Lane and North Street, Whitwick, Leicestershire, LE67 5HA

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Overview

A war memorial of 1921 date constructed of granite. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1464500
Date first listed:: 05-Aug-2019
List Entry Name:: Whitwick War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Churchyard of St John the Baptist, Junction of Church Lane and North Street, Whitwick, Leicestershire, LE67 5HA

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1464500
Date first listed:: 05-Aug-2019
List Entry Name:: Whitwick War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Churchyard of St John the Baptist, Junction of Church Lane and North Street, Whitwick, Leicestershire, LE67 5HA

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:: Churchyard of St John the Baptist, Junction of Church Lane and North Street, Whitwick, Leicestershire, LE67 5HA

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

County:: Leicestershire
District:: North West Leicestershire (District Authority)
Parish:: Whitwick
National Grid Reference:: SK4350816163

Summary

A war memorial of 1921 date constructed of granite.

Reasons for Designation

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

Historic interest:

* it is 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:

* it is a well-detailed war memorial in the form of a wheel cross.

Group value:

* it has group value with the Church of St John the Baptist (listed at 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, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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 raised at Whitwick as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by a member of the local community who lost his life in the First World War. The memorial was designed by the vicar, the Reverend TW Walters, MA in 1921 and executed by Messrs Wells and Co, of Hugglescote, under the direction of the local war memorial committee. The memorial was unveiled on Saturday 5 November 1921 by General Sir Reginald Hoskins KCB CMG DSO (the general officer commanding the North Midland area) and dedicated by Lord Bishop of Peterborough.

The memorial was later altered to recognise the fallen in the Second World War. It commemorates 82 local servicemen who fell in the First World War and 31 men who fell in the Second World War.

Details

A war memorial of 1921 date.

MATERIALS: constructed of Cornish grey granite; Bronze; Granolithic concrete.

DESCRIPTION: comprising a wheel head cross on a three-tiered plinth with chamfered edges, on a six-stepped base, the upper five levels being octagonal in plan, the lowermost circular. The plinth bears the inscriptions in cast bronze plaques.

The inscriptions read: Plinth, 6, 3 & 12 o'clock faces. Upper tier : IN PROUD MEMORY OF / THE MEN OF WHITWICK / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / IN THE WAR / 1914 - 1918 Middle tier : (NAMES) Plinth, 6 o'clock face, lower tier only : THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR / EVERMORE Plinth, 9 o'clock faces. Upper tier : IN PROUD MEMORY OF / THE MEN OF WHITWICK / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / IN THE WAR / 1939 - 1945 Middle tier : (NAMES) On step riser faces, bottom to top : 1914 / 1915 / 1916 / 1917 / 1918.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 20/08/2019

Sources

Websites
Memorial Cross, St John the Baptist Churchyard - Whitwick, accessed 24 May 2019 from http://www.leicestershirewarmemorials.co.uk/war/memorials/view/1241
UK National Inventory of War Memorials - Whitwick, accessed 24 May 2019 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/37868
War Memorials Online - Whitwick, accessed 24 May 2019 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/155595/
Other
Drawings signed by Wells & Co and dated January 1921 (DE1760/76), Leicestershire Record Office
Faculty for erecting a granite cross in the churchyard (DE1760/65/8), Leicestershire Record Office
Invoice from Wells & Co dated November 1921 referring to a contract dated May 1921 (DE1760/75), Leicestershire Record Office

Legal

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