Bishop's Stortford's St Michael's Church war memorial joins Armistice Day heritage list
The First World War memorial in the churchyard of St Michael's in Bishop's Stortford, dedicated to 38 men of the parish and congregation who gave their lives in the conflict, has been grade II listed.
First unveiled at the Windhill place of worship in June 1920, it incorporates part of a 15th-century lantern cross.
The St Michael's memorial is one of 10 given grade II listed protection after advice from Historic England in time for Armistice Day on Thursday (Nov 11) and Remembrance Sunday (Nov 14).
The grade II listing notes the memorial is "an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the 20th century". The heritage value of the cross itself is recorded as "a richly-carved and well-executed memorial".
Integration of the lantern cross is of particular significance. On his www.stortfordhistory.co.uk website, local historian Paul Ailey's research revealed its deep roots in the town and parish church's history.
While the limestone cross now stands to the left of the north porch, the original Caen stone structure probably first stood at the south side of the church.
Mr Ailey said: "Most medieval foundations had one of these crosses, marking the churchyard as consecrated ground and a place of penance. In pre-Reformation times it was customary to perform penances at the churchyard cross, and for this reason, they were also referred to as 'weeping crosses'.
"Another name for them was palm crosses, so given because they were ornamented with wreaths of palm on Palm Sunday for processions. These processions around the church usually began and finished at the site of the cross.
"Although St Michael's cross survived the start of the Reformation, it didn't survive the Civil War, being taken down in 1643 by an officer of the Earl of Manchester. It was during 19th-century restoration work that parts of it were found beneath the floor of the church and then moved to the belfry for safekeeping.
"The present churchyard cross is a reconstruction, only the lower part of the capital being from the 15th-century original. Mounted on a square stone block that sits on a two-tiered octagonal plinth, it also acts as a war memorial dedicated to 38 men of the parish and congregation who gave their lives in the First World War."
The west elevation of the lantern features a scene of the Crucifixion, with Christ flanked by the Blessed Virgin and St John.
The memorial was paid for by public subscription and is inscribed: "In Grateful Memory of Men of this Parish and Congregation who died for their Country in the Great War R.I.P. Let those who come after see to it that their names are not forgotten."
According to Historic England: "The aftermath of the First World War that was the great age of memorial building, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three-quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss."
A granite cross at Hunsdon has been included in the list. It was created by Mr C Smith in memory of 18 members of the community who lost their lives. It was unveiled on November 21, 1921. A plaque added later commemorates seven people who died in the Second World War.
Hertford and Stortford MP Julie Marson posted on Twitter on Wednesday (Nov 10): "Two of our local war memorials in Hunsdon and at St Michael's Church in Bishop's Stortford have been listed at grade II ahead of #ArmisticeDay tomorrow. Thank you to both @HistoricEngland and @DCMS [Department of Culture, Media and Sport] for protecting their significance for our community. #LestWeForget."
