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
Berkhamsted War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as a war memorial that has strong cultural and historic significance within both a local and national context;
* Commemorative: it forms a poignant reminder of the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made during the First and Second World Wars;
* Design: as an elegant memorial comprising a Greek cross set upon a tapering shaft, moulded plinth and stepped base;
* Group value: with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Peter and adjacent Grade II* and Grade II-listed C16 houses on Church Lane and the High Street, as well as a war memorial inside the Church of St Peter.
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. One such memorial was raised at Berkhamsted in circa 1920 as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
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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