Listed Building: Litchborough War Memorial (1433211)

LIST ENTRY DESCRIPTION SUMMARY OF BUILDING First World War memorial. Erected c 1920. REASONS FOR DESIGNATION Litchborough War Memorial, on the village green west of the parish church, 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 First World War; * Design: an elegant limestone cross by the well-regarded Northamptonshire architect J A Gotch; * Group value: with the Grade II*-listed church of St Martin and several listed buildings around the green. HISTORY The memorial to the men of Litchborough who fell in the First World War was erected c 1920. It was designed by J A Gotch (1852-1942) of Kettering. In 2014, conservation work was undertaken, with further general work to the memorial and its surroundings in 2015. DETAILS DESCRIPTION: the war memorial stands on a small village green west of the church of St Martin (Grade II*). Of sandstone, it is a c 7m tall cross with a simple Latin cross-head on a tapering, square-sectioned, shaft set on a square plinth with redder sandstone panels which carry the inscriptions. In raised lettering the principal inscription reads TO KEEP IN MIND/ THOSE WHO FROM THIS PLACE/ GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR/ COUNTRY AND FOR THE RIGHT/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919. The names of those who died are recorded on two sides of the plinth. The plinth stands on a four-stage octagonal base. The memorial is approached by a modern sandstone path and is surrounded by a post and chain link fence. Persuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that the modern sandstone path and chain link fence to the memorial are not of special architectural or historic interest. SELECTED SOURCES Other Northampton Mercury, 23 July 1920

Record last edited

Apr 15 2016 12:20PM