Risby War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, 1920, by Mr Thomas Dinham Atkinson and erected by Hanchets (stonemasons) of Bury St Edmunds. Unveiled and dedicated in with further names added after the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Risby War Memorial is recommended for listing 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 memorial in the form of a tall, finely-carved Latin cross.

Group value:

* it has group value with the numerous buildings surrounding the village green, notably Holly Cottage to the south-east, Little Manor to the south and Barn at Lower Farm to the west, all listed at Grade II.

History

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 Risby as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was designed by Mr Thomas Dinham Atkinson and erected by Hanchets (stonemasons) of Bury St Edmunds who built many of Suffolk’s First World War memorials. The memorial was unveiled on 9 April 1920 by Lieutenant S P Eagle and dedicated by the Reverend A W Leach. The names of those parishioners who fell during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.

According to contemporary newspaper reports, the cross was initially only inscribed on the south face of the plinth with the words: IN MEMORIAM, 1914-1919. No names had been added when the cross was unveiled and dedicated in 1920. Recently, granite plaques bearing incised inscriptions have been inserted into the plinth and upper step of the memorial. These replaced earlier inscriptions.

Details

First World War memorial, 1920, by Mr Thomas Dinham Atkinson and erected by Hanchets (stonemasons) of Bury St Edmunds with further names added after the Second World War.

MATERIALS: Weldon stone.

PLAN: the memorial stands in a prominent position on the village green surrounded by numerous listed buildings.

EXTERIOR: it is in the form of a tall, finely-carved Latin cross with a tapering square shaft resting on a two-stepped octagonal plinth and two-stepped octagonal base. On the south face of the cross is the monogram HIS and on the north face is the ancient Christian symbol of the Chi Rho.

Granite plaques bearing incised inscriptions have been inserted more recently into the plinth and upper step of the base. These appear to retain earlier wording, and read as follows: (on the south face of the plinth) IN MEMORIAM/ 1914-1919; (on the south face of the upper step of the base) THE/ SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939-1945/ TO THE HONOURED MEMORY/ OF THE FOUR MEN OF THIS VILLAGE/ WHO DID NOT RETURN

The names of nine men who died during the First World War are inscribed on the north, west and east faces of the plinth. The names of four men who died during the Second World War are inscribed on the south-east and south-west faces of the upper step of the base.

Sources

Websites
UK Inventory of War Memorials, accessed 4 March 2020 from www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/search
War Memorials Online database, accessed 19 June 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/135292

Other
‘Wayside Cross at Risby:A Memorial to the Fallen’, The Bury Free Press, Saturday 17 April 1920

End of official list entry

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