Raydon War Memorial

St Mary's Churchyard, The Street, Raydon, Suffolk, IP7 5LW

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

Overview

First World War memorial, erected by Messrs LJ Watt and unveiled on Sunday 1 August 1920. Further names were added after the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1466689
Date first listed:: 27-Apr-2020
List Entry Name:: Raydon War Memorial
Statutory Address:: St Mary's Churchyard, The Street, Raydon, Suffolk, IP7 5LW

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1466689
Date first listed:: 27-Apr-2020
List Entry Name:: Raydon War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: St Mary's Churchyard, The Street, Raydon, Suffolk, IP7 5LW

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:: St Mary's Churchyard, The Street, Raydon, Suffolk, IP7 5LW

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

County:: Suffolk
District:: Babergh (District Authority)
Parish:: Raydon
National Grid Reference:: TM0497538624

Summary

First World War memorial, erected by Messrs LJ Watt and unveiled on Sunday 1 August 1920. Further names were added after the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Raydon 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.

Group value:

* it has group value with the Grade II* listed Church of St Mary.

History

The concept of commemorating war dead did not develop to any great extent until towards the end of the C19. Previously, memorials were rare and were mainly dedicated to individual officers, or sometimes regiments. The first large-scale erection of war memorials dedicated to the ordinary soldier followed the Second Boer War of 1899-1902, the first major war following reforms to the British Army which led to regiments being recruited from local communities and with volunteer soldiers. However, it was the aftermath of the First World War that was the great age of memorial building, 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 Raydon 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 was erected by Messrs LJ Watt (builders) and it was unveiled on Sunday 1 August 1920.

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

Details

First World War Memorial.

MATERIALS: limestone.

PLAN: the memorial is located beside the main entrance to the churchyard, to the east of the Grade II* listed Church of St Mary.

EXTERIOR: it is in the form of a plain Celtic cross with a tapering shaft on a tapering plinth which stands on a three-stepped base. The lower step is of concrete.

The main inscription is in leaded lettering on a plain marble tablet on the east face of the plinth. It reads: THESE MEN FELL FIGHTING/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ 1914-1918./ (NAMES)/ ‘THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE.’

An additional inscription in leaded lettering on a plain marble tablet on the north face of the plinth reads: THESE MEN/ ALSO FELL FIGHTING/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE/ SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939-1945/ (NAMES)/ ‘THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR/ EVERMORE.’

Sources

Websites
Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, accessed 19 June 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/4475
War Memorials Online database, accessed 19 June 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/168154

Legal

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