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Summary

Memorial to the men of the parish who gave their lives in both world wars.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1464182: Thurlestone War Memorial, Village Green, Eddystone Road, Thurlestone, Devon

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WAR MEMORIAL (World War I to World War II - 1918 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Roll-of-Honour.com, 2002-2014, Roll of Honour (Website). SDV351510.

Photographs include one of the memorial and close-ups of the inscriptions.

Walls, S., 2010, The Materiality of Remembrance: Twentieth Century War Memorials in Devon, 153, 210; Figure 5.36; THU01 (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV355902.

The Thurlestone War Memorials design had been chosen in 1919 by the vicar (Reverend F.E. Coope) to copy the form he believed the South Zeal village cross (45 miles away on Dartmoor) to have originally taken, and was located in close relationship with a restored (1911) wayside cross placed at the edge of the churchyard only 25 metres away.

Brine, M. E., 2013, War Memorials (Website). SDV351333.

Thurlestone War Memorial is sited on a pretty green space in the very heart of the village The cross was modelled on the old village cross at South Zeal .

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

'War Meml' shown.

Imperial War Museum, 2014, War Memorials Archive, 25783 (Website). SDV356253.

Four-stepped square base surmounted by square plinth, tapered shaft and Latin cross. Inscription in black lettering on two sides of the plinth and top step:
Side one: IN GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF/ THE MEN OF THIS/ PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR/ LIVES FOR US DURING THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 TO 1918/ (Names)
Side two: 1939-1945/ (Names)
The memorial was constructed from a design prepared by the rector, Reverend F.E. Coope, and unveiled in September 1921 by Major General E.W. Alexander

Historic England, 2019, National Heritage List for England, 1464182 (National Heritage List for England). SDV362730.

Thurlstone War Memorial
Summary
War memorial cross, 1921.
Reasons for Designation
Thurleston War Memorial, 1921, 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:
* a well-executed and unaltered example of a Celtic wheel-cross type of memorial, designed by the local rector and based on a medieval cross.
Group value:
* with the Grade II*-listed Church of All Saints.
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 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 Thurlestone 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 constructed by Messrs W Osborne and Sons of Sticklepath, Okehampton, to the design prepared by the rector, Reverend F E Coope, based on a C15 village cross at South Zeal (listed Grade II*, NHLE ref 1106010). The memorial was unveiled by General Alexander V C and dedicated by the rector, Reverend F E Coope, and the Wesleyan minister, Reverend S R Hicks, on Thursday 22 September 1921.
The names of those parishioners who fell during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.
Details
War memorial cross, 1921.
MATERIALS: the memorial is constructed from grey granite.
PLAN: prominently positioned on the village green.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises a plain Latin cross surmounted upon a tapering octagonal shaft on a square plinth, with a substantial four-stepped square base.
The main inscription in leaded lettering is on the north-east face of the plinth; it reads: ‘IN GRATEFUL MEMORY / OF / THE MEN OF THIS / PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR / LIVES FOR US DURING THE GREAT WAR / 1914 TO 1918’ followed by the 12 names of the fallen parishioners on the upper step of the base.
An additional inscription on the south-east face reads: ‘1939-1945’, followed by 11 names.
Date first listed: 14th May 2019

Historic England, 2019, Thurlestone War Memorial, Village Green, Eddystone Road, Thurlestone, Devon (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV362994.

Notification that Historic England are assessing the war memorial for addition to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest and have completed an initial assessment to consider whether the structure has special architectural or historic interest.
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 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 Thurlestone 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 constructed by Messrs W Osborne and Sons of Sticklepath, Okehampton to the design prepared by the rector, Reverend F E Coope, based on a C15 village cross at South Zeal (listed Grade II*, NHLE ref 1106010). The memorial was unveiled by General Alexander V C and dedicated by the rector, Reverend F E Coope, and the Wesleyan minister, Reverend S R Hicks, on Thursday 22 September 1921.
The names of those parishioners who fell during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.
Details
War memorial cross, 1921.
MATERIALS: the memorial is constructed from grey granite.
PLAN: prominently positioned on the village green.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises a plain Latin cross surmounted upon a tapering octagonal shaft on a square plinth, with a substantial four-stepped square base.
The main inscription in leaded lettering is on the north-east face of the plinth; it reads: ‘IN GRATEFUL MEMORY / OF / THE MEN OF THIS / PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR / LIVES FOR
US DURING THE GREAT WAR / 1914 TO 1918’ followed by the 12 names of the fallen parishioners on the upper step of the base.
An additional inscription on the south-east face reads: ‘1939-1945’, followed by 11 names.

Historic England, 2019, Thurlestone War Memorial, Village Green, Eddystone Road, Thurlestone, Devon (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV363049.

Notification that the memorial has been added to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. It was recommended for listing 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 conflic ts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* a well-executed and unaltered example of a Celtic wheel-cross type of memorial, designed by the local rector and based on a medieval cross .
Group value:
* with the Grade II*-listed Church of All Saints.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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