Thorley War Memorial

St Swithin's Church, Thorley Street, Thorley, Isle of Wight, PO41 0SS

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

Overview

A village war memorial which stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Swithin, Thorley, Isle of Wight, dating from about 1920. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1464776
Date first listed:: 05-Jul-2019
List Entry Name:: Thorley War Memorial
Statutory Address:: St Swithin's Church, Thorley Street, Thorley, Isle of Wight, PO41 0SS

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1464776
Date first listed:: 05-Jul-2019
List Entry Name:: Thorley War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: St Swithin's Church, Thorley Street, Thorley, Isle of Wight, PO41 0SS

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 Swithin's Church, Thorley Street, Thorley, Isle of Wight, PO41 0SS

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

District:: Isle of Wight (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Yarmouth
National Grid Reference:: SZ3754388663

Summary

A village war memorial which stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Swithin, Thorley, Isle of Wight, dating from about 1920.

Reasons for Designation

Thorley 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 accomplished and well-realised war memorial, which takes the form of a cross on a stone shaft with base.

Group value:

* with the Church of St Swithin (Grade II), in which churchyard it stands to the south of the church.

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 Thorley as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War The memorial appears to date from about 1920.

Details

A village war memorial of about 1920 which stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Swithin, Thorley, Isle of Wight.

MATERIALS and PLAN: the monument has a tall, rectangular base, which is battered and now coated with pebble-dash render, although it may originally have appeared different. Above this the base to the cross is stepped and of marble, as is the cross, which has a tapered shaft and a wheel head.

DESCRIPTION: the steps of the base bear the names of the dead and the tapered base of the cross is inscribed on its western side: 'IN MEMORIAM / 1914 - 1919 / GOD IS LOVE'. The marble cross is of Celtic pattern with a wheel head and has a raised, moulded edge and the Christogram 'IHS' entwined at the centre.

Sources

Websites
Isle of Wight war memorials, accessed 28/05/2019 from http://www.isle-of-wight-memorials.org.uk/churches/thorleystswithins1.htm?COLLCC=4226101414&
IWM register, accessed 28/05/2019 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/40892?utm_source=ukniwm&utm_medium=rw&utm_campaign=wmalaunch

Legal

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