English Heritage has announced its plans to mark the Centenary of the First World War with projects and the granting of ‘listed’ status to more memorials.
Memorials
The Culture Secretary, Maria Miller MP, announced on the 10th November 2013 that English Heritage will grant ‘listed’ status to up to 500 First World War memorials during the Centenary years of 2014-2018.
This status will offer the memorials new protections.
It is unknown how many First World War memorials there are in England, as there was such demand for them to be erected across the country in the wake of the conflict. There are only 1,300 examples currently on the National Heritage List for England.
Ms. Miller said that the First World War Centenary “comes at a point where living memory becomes written history, so it is absolutely essential that our work to mark it speaks clearly to young people in particular”.
“War Memorials are a precious part of our heritage that keeps alive the ultimate sacrifice that so many made. It is absolutely right that we cherish and protect them, and I welcome English Heritage’s initiative in launching this project”.
Liverpool Cenotaph, built to commemorate those who lost their lives in the First World War, has been granted Grade I listed status by English Heritage, making it one of only three Grade I war memorials in the country.
Liverpool Cenotaph
First World War projects
English Heritage has also launched a new web page which outlines other projects it has planned to mark the 100 year anniversary of the conflict.
One “major project” is an exploration of England as ‘The First Home Front’ during the war, which aims “to record the colossal ‘footprint’ left by the First World War on the fabric, landscape and coastal waters of England”.
English Heritage experts will work with volunteers from the Council for British Archaeology to identify, research, record and help everyone to “appreciate the physical legacy of the war on English soil”.
As part of the project, English Heriage will look for the remains of practice trenches; explore how many drill halls survive; attempt to locate the first pill boxes; and dive to explore the wrecks of British and German submarines in coastal waters.
To find out more about the commemorations, vist the English Heritage website here.
Source: English Heritage press release
Date of press release publication: 12/11/2013
Images courtesy of English Heritage
Posted by: Daniel Barry, Centenary News