Ixworth War Memorial

St Mary's Churchyard, High Street, Ixworth, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 2HH

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

Overview

First World War memorial, unveiled in 1919, with inscriptions added after the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1467918
Date first listed:: 16-Jan-2020
List Entry Name:: Ixworth War Memorial
Statutory Address:: St Mary's Churchyard, High Street, Ixworth, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 2HH

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1467918
Date first listed:: 16-Jan-2020
List Entry Name:: Ixworth War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: St Mary's Churchyard, High Street, Ixworth, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 2HH

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, High Street, Ixworth, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 2HH

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

County:: Suffolk
District:: West Suffolk (District Authority)
Parish:: Ixworth
National Grid Reference:: TL9315270372

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled in 1919, with inscriptions added after the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Ixworth War Memorial, unveiled in December 1919, 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 well-executed wheel-head cross memorial.

Group value:

* with the Grade I listed Church of St Mary.

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 Ixworth, within the churchyard, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 31 men from the parish who lost their lives in the First World War. It was made by monumental masons Hanchets (established 1776) of Bury St Edmunds, who were responsible for at least 20 other First World War memorials in the Suffolk area, and was erected by Mr E E Saunders of Ipswich. It was unveiled by Colonel Parry Crooke at a ceremony held on 20 December 1919.

Following the Second World War the 14 names of the fallen from that conflict were added to the memorial. A rededication service took place on 20 December 1948.

Details

First World War memorial, unveiled in 1919, with inscriptions added after the Second World War.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial, which is approximately 3.3m tall, stands in a prominent position to the south-east of the Church of St Mary (Grade I). It is carved from granite and has a wheel-head cross rising from a tapering shaft that stands on a chamfered plinth of two sections and a two-stepped square base.

The main inscription in black painted lettering on the front face of the plinth reads: TO THE/ GREATER GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 - 1918/ "THE MEN WERE VERY GOOD UNTO US, AND/ WE WERE NOT HURT... THEY WERE A WALL/ UNTO US BOTH BY NIGHT AND DAY"/ SAMUEL XXV, 15 AND 16/ AND/ 1939-1945.

The names of the fallen are recorded on the south-west and north-east faces, and those who died in the Second World War are on the front lower section the plinth.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: it is enclosed with chain-link and slender metal posts with ball finials.

Sources

Websites
Ixworth War Memorial, War Memorials Online , accessed 12 December 2019 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/117473
Ixworth, Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, accessed 12 November 2019 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/5228

Legal

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