Smisby War Memorial
Village Green, junction of Forties Lane, Chapel Street, Main Street and Annwell Lane, Smisby, Derbyshire, LE65 2TY
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1469630
- Date first listed:
- 23-Sept-2020
- List Entry Name:
- Smisby War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Village Green, junction of Forties Lane, Chapel Street, Main Street and Annwell Lane, Smisby, Derbyshire, LE65 2TY
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1469630
- Date first listed:
- 23-Sept-2020
- List Entry Name:
- Smisby War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Village Green, junction of Forties Lane, Chapel Street, Main Street and Annwell Lane, Smisby, Derbyshire, LE65 2TY
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Village Green, junction of Forties Lane, Chapel Street, Main Street and Annwell Lane, Smisby, Derbyshire, LE65 2TY
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Derbyshire
- District:
- South Derbyshire (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Smisby
- National Grid Reference:
- SK3484119112
Summary
A First World War memorial unveiled in 1920.
Reasons for Designation
Smisby 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 an elegant and pleasing example of a Latin Cross.
Group value
* for its strong group value with the nearby Church of St James (Grade I), The Lock Up (Grade II*), the steps, gates and railings to the south-east of the Church (Grade II), and Pitts Farmhouse (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 Smisby as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by four members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Smisby War Memorial was unveiled in 1920 by Reverend Marriott.
Details
First World War memorial, unveiled in 1920 by Reverend Marriott.
MATERIALS: marble.
DESCRIPTION: Smisby War Memorial is located on a triangular area of grass at the centre of the junction of Chapel Street, Forties Lane and Main Street.
The memorial takes the form of a marble Latin cross rising from a tapering plinth on a two-stepped base, the lower step of which is concrete. The cross-head is encircled with a carved wreath of flowers while each face of the plinth is recessed.
The south face of the plinth bears the inscription ERECTED/ BY THE PARISHIONERS/ IN MEMORY OF SMISBY MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ R.I.P. The north face reads FOR KING/ AND COUNTRY while the names of the four fallen are recorded on the remaining sides.
The memorial stands on a square concreted area enclosed by iron railings.
Sources
Websites
UK Inventory of War Memorials, accessed 24 February 2020 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/14328
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 10-Jun-2026 at 20:00:12.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.