Freeland War Memorial

A First World War memorial of 1919, with later Second World War inscriptions.

MATERIALS: Portland stone

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located within the churchyard of the Church of St Mary and stands to the south-east of the church and to the south-west of the Lychgate. It faces north-east and has a gabled Calvary cross with a carved 'INRI' scroll above a sculpture of Jesus Christ on the cross. Lower down the shaft there is a carved shield with the text 'IHS', carved in relief. The tapering octagonal shaft, rises from a moulded, octagonal base. This stands on a two-stepped octagonal plinth, which in turn, is set upon a shallow square platform.

The north-east face of the base is inscribed 'JESU/ MERCY'. The top step of the plinth bears an inscription which runs across the three north-east facing sides and reads 'IN LOVING AND GRATEFUL MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF FREELAND WHO LAID DOWN/ THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1918'. The dates '1939' and '1945' are incised on two other faces of the step. The three faces of the bottom step directly below the First World War inscription list the names of eight fallen from the First World War. Seven further names are incised on three other sides of the step.