Great Thurlow War Memorial

Great Thurlow war memorial, erected April 1921 (with Second World War inscriptions added), built to the designs of Rev W A Wickham.

MATERIALS: of granite stone.

PLAN: square in plan-form.

DESCRIPTION: the Great Thurlow war memorial stands approximately 3.5 metres in height, takes the form of a Latin cross with an octagonal tapered shaft positioned on a low square corniced plinth and base. At the collar of the tapered shaft, beneath the cross, is a crenelated crown which features motifs of the fleur-de-lys interspersed between the letters ‘IHS’ (a Greek Christogram symbol of Jesus Christ, in the form of acronym) carved in relief . The east face of the plinth is inscribed with the epitaph ‘REMEMBER IN CHRIST THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR / LIVES DURING THE GREAT WAR, A.D. 1914-1918’ and the names of five local men who fell in the conflict. Following the Second World War a further carved inscription was added to the south face of the plinth to commemorate two of the fallen from this conflict.

The memorial is set prominently on Withersfield Road between the junctions with Wratting Road and Bury Road, located in front of the Great Thurlow Reading Room (built 1903). The memorial is positioned centrally on the slanted forecourt and is bounded to the south and east by a low-set curved section of brick wall which supports a cast-iron railing. Situated opposite the war memorial, on the east side of Withersfield Road (to the north side of the junction with Bury Road), is the C17 former Rose and Crown public house, listed Grade II (NHLE 1181908). Other listed buildings at the Withersfied Road junction in the middle of Great Thurlow include a C17 timber-framed cottage (112A and 113A Bury Road), and a C17 house to the east along Bury Road, at 112, both of which are listed Grade II (NHLE 1031683; 1284751).

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 30 January 2018.