Great Blakenham War Memorial

Churchyard of Church of St Mary, Stowmarket Road, Great Blakenham, Suffolk, IP6 0NJ

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

Overview

A stone war memorial cross of 1920 date. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1467908
Date first listed:: 15-Jan-2020
List Entry Name:: Great Blakenham War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Churchyard of Church of St Mary, Stowmarket Road, Great Blakenham, Suffolk, IP6 0NJ

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1467908
Date first listed:: 15-Jan-2020
List Entry Name:: Great Blakenham War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Churchyard of Church of St Mary, Stowmarket Road, Great Blakenham, Suffolk, IP6 0NJ

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 Church of St Mary, Stowmarket Road, Great Blakenham, Suffolk, IP6 0NJ

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

County:: Suffolk
District:: Mid Suffolk (District Authority)
Parish:: Great Blakenham
National Grid Reference:: TM1179950814

Summary

A stone war memorial cross of 1920 date.

Reasons for Designation

Great Blakenham 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 stone cross.

Group value:

* it has group value with the Church of St Mary (listed at Grade I).

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. The memorials, therefore, provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

One such memorial was raised at Great Blakenham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 13 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was erected by Mr Charles Mee (builder) and was unveiled on Sunday 29 August 1920 by Brigadier-General AL Schreiber CB CMG DSO.

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

Details

A war memorial of 1920 date.

MATERIALS: constructed of a granite cross and York stone base.

DESCRIPTION: comprising a short wheel cross set atop a tall circular stone column standing on a square plinth with chamfered corners. The column rests on a four-stepped stone base set within a flowerbed.

The main inscription is in leaded lettering on the west face of the plinth and reads: TO/ THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ IN THANKFUL REMEMBRANCE/ OF/ THE MEN FROM THIS PARISH/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ FOR KING AND COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918. The names of the First World War fallen are listed on the south and east faces of the plinth, with the names on the east face being followed by the sentence: "OUR DEAD THROUGH WHOM WE LIVE." The inscription on the north face of the plinth reads: ERECTED/ BY THE/ PARISHIONERS/ OF/ GREAT BLAKENHAM.

A later stone tablet has been affixed to the west front of the top two steps, on which is inscribed: AND/ 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES).

Sources

Websites
War Memorial Register - UK National Inventory of War Memorials: Great Blakenham, accessed 11 November 2019 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/4700
Other
East Anglian Daily Times, 30 August 1920

Legal

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