Summary
Ecchinswell War Memorial, a First World War memorial, thought to have been erected in 1922.
Reasons for Designation
The war memorial at Ecchinswell 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:
* for its bold and simple design, taking the form of a Latin cross in roughly hewn granite.
Group Value:
* with a number of listed buildings at the centre of the village, including the Church of St Lawrence and the village school, both C19, the early C19 mill and mill house, Church Villa, originating in the C18, and Corner Cottage, a C17 timber-framed house.
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 both of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided an important focus for grief.
The land on which Ecchinswell War Memorial stands, originally the site of the village pound, was given to the Parish Council by the Earl of Carnarvon, who owned the land, by a deed of conveyance on 1 October 1921. The Funds were raised by public subscription and it is thought that the memorial was built the following year. The memorial originally stood within a small gravelled plot enclosed by iron railings; it is not known when the railings were removed.
Following the Second World War the names of five men lost during that conflict were added to the memorial. In 2008 the memorial was restored with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust.
Details
First World War memorial, thought to have been erected in 1922. The memorial stands on the east side of Ecchinswell Road, opposite the village hall.
MATERIALS: rough-hewn granite, with lead lettering.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial takes the form of a Latin cross rising from a tapered plinth on a shallow base. To the west, the base of the cross shaft has a circular recessed panel with a small cross and the dates and initials ‘1914-1919/ RIP’ in lead. On the plinth below, the granite is smoothed to take the names of the 21 men lost in the First World War. The names of the five men lost in the Second World War fallen are listed in lead lettering within a recessed panel on the east face of the plinth under the dates ‘1939-1945’.
The square plot within which the war memorial stands is now enclosed by a shallow kerb.
