Summary
First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War. Erected circa 1920, with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.
Reasons for Designation
Wigginton War Memorial, Hertfordshire, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: as an elegant and well-composed memorial formed of a limestone Celtic cross on a tapering shaft, plinth and base, flanked by columns and approached by steps;
* Commemorative: it forms a poignant reminder of the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made during the conflicts of the C20;
* Historic interest: as a war memorial that has strong cultural and historic significance within both a local and national context;
* Group value: with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Bartholomew with which it forms a strong visual composition, as well as the Grade II-listed lych gate.
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 also 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.
Details
First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War. Erected circa 1920, with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.
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