Compstall War Memorial

Summary

A war memorial of 1922, by H Cecil Powell of Manchester, in buff sandstone. It is modelled on the Cross of Sacrifice design.

Reasons for Designation

Compstall War Memorial, of 1922, by H Cecil Powell of Manchester, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest:

* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* it has considerable design merit, modelled on the Cross of Sacrifice, and with much moulding to the cross and plinth, and hand-carved inscriptions including a dedication in attractive Gothic script.

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 Compstall as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 31 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The war memorial was designed in the summer of 1922. The parish council invited a Mrs Munn to unveil the memorial, in recognition of the great interest she had taken in the welfare of fallen soldiers during the war, and her generous contributions. Ultimately though the memorial was unveiled by Mr R Rayner Thornley, a native of Compstall then working at Manchester University, who during the war had also helped the relatives of Compstall men who had joined up.

A report in the Hyde Reporter (held in local archives) reveals that the unveiling took place in the afternoon of Saturday 11 November 1922. Prior to the service the Compstall Prize Band marched through the village. The memorial was dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Chester (Right Rev Dr Paget), who lost his son in the war. He was assisted by the vicars of St Paul’s church Compstall and of St Martin’s church in Marple. The service was also attended by leaders of other denominations. St Paul’s choir led the singing of hymns, and six trumpeters of 52 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, sounded the Last Post and Reveille. The band accompanied a procession from the memorial to the church, where the Bishop addressed the congregation and the newly-renovated organ was played. Proceedings closed with the singing of the national anthem.

Details

A War Memorial of 1922, by H Cecil Powell of Manchester.

MATERIALS: buff sandstone.

DESCRIPTION: standing close to the church of St Paul (National Heritage List for England (NHLE) entry 1242539) and the parish hall, the memorial comprises a stone cross on a tapering square plinth, and four octagonal steps. The overall height is around 2.1m. The cross is modelled after Sir Reginald Blomfield’s Cross of Sacrifice, with octagonal shaft and arms, and a wheelhead cross carved in the centre of the crossing. The cross has a moulded foot, which is square at its base. This stands on the moulded cap of the plinth. The inscriptions, in raised lettering within incised fields, are on the west (front), north and south faces of the plinth. The front, in Gothic script, reads ‘TO THE GLORY/ OF GOD AND/ IN PROUD AND/ LOVING MEMORY/ OF THE/ MEN OF COMPSTALL/ WHO LAID DOWN/ THEIR LIVES IN/ THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1919’. The names, in serifed capitals and in alphabetical order (without ranks), commence on the north face, with a further 16 on the south face.

Sources

Books and journals
Remembrance Sunday in Stockport Advertiser, ,Vol. , (11/11/1932), 13

Websites
Imperial War Museums register, accessed 10/03/2025 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/3181
War Memorials Online, accessed 10/03/2025 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/119441
List of holdings on Compstall Memorial Cross in the Marple Local History Society archives, accessed 13/03/2025 from https://www.marplelocalhistorysociety.org.uk/archives/items/show/683

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