Summary
War memorial, 1921; built by Messrs Newman & Harper.
Reasons for Designation
Haddenham War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historical interest: as a poignant reminder of the tragic impact of world events upon this rural community;
* Design interest: for its elegant design, taking the form of an obelisk in Portland stone, with accomplished carving to the ball finial;
* Group value: with the Church of St Mary, listed at Grade I, together with associated listed features, and with numerous listed buildings surrounding the green, including the Anchor, a former public house, and a former maltster’s house and maltings, all listed at 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, 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 Haddenham as permanent testament to the 50 local men who fell during the First World War. The builders were Messrs Newman & Harper. Constructed in the summer of 1921, the memorial was unveiled by the Marquis of Lincolnshire on 16 October 1921.
The memorial is placed in a prominent position in the S part of Haddenham, at Church End, to the N of the medieval church of St Mary. Following the Second World War, the names of those lost during that conflict were added to the memorial. The war memorial was cleaned in 2014.
Details
War memorial, 1921.
MATERIALS: Portland stone.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial, which is 14 feet high in total, takes the form of an obelisk on a tall square plinth, raised on a single step. The apex of the obelisk is surmounted by a ball finial carved with acanthus leaves, between which are the thistle, shamrock and rose. The base has corner pilasters, framing the inscribed panels. On the N face of the obelisk is carved a laurel wreath, with the words ‘OUR GLORIOUS DEAD’ and ‘THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE’. On the plinth are the words: ‘IN/ HONOUR/ AND/ UNDYING MEMORY/ OF/ THE MEN OF THIS VILLAGE/ WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ OF/ 1914- 1918/ AND/ 1939 -1945’. The names are then recorded, with the regiments to which the men belonged.
This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 6 June 2017.
