Shap War Memorial

Shap War Memorial is a First World War memorial built in 1920, located in the churchyard of St Michael’s Church on Church Street in Shap, Cumbria. It is prominently placed at the junction of the churchyard paths near the northern entrance. The memorial features a polished wheel-head cross made of Shap granite, which has an “IHS" monogram at its center. This cross stands on a tapering shaft, with a splay-moulded foot, and is supported by a tapering four-sided plinth and a single-stepped base. The plinth and base are rough-hewn but have polished faces that display incised and blacked inscriptions. Surrounding the memorial is a low semi-circular kerb made of matching stone.

The inscription on the memorial is incised and reads: (NAMES)// TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN EVER/ SACRED MEMORY OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/ IN THE GREAT WAR,/ 1914 – 1918./ “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT A/ MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS”// ON THIS MEMORIAL/ ARE ALSO RECORDED/ THE NAMES OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945/ IN THE DEFENCE OF/ THEIR FRIENDS AND OF/ THE LIBERTY OF MANKIND// 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES).