Summary
First World War memorial with Second World War additions.
Description
First World War memorial with Second World War additions.
MATERIALS: marble.
DESCRIPTION: Hindringham war memorial is located in the churchyard to the east of the Church of St Martin (Grade I listed).
It takes the form of a stone cross fleurée with a lozenge aperture at its centre. This crowns a tapering, hexagonal shaft with a collar and stepped-foot; the east face has an inverted sword carved in relief. The shaft rises from a corniced, hexagonal plinth with a molded foot surmounting a two-stepped hexagonal base.
INSCRIPTION: the three eastern faces of the plinth carry the inscriptions and names in leaded lettering on inset marble panels. The inscription is to the central face and reads: IN/ THANKFUL MEMORY OF/ THE SONS OF/ HINDRINGHAM/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR/ LIVES FOR HOME AND/ COUNTRY IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914 - 1919/ "THEIR REWARD IS WITH THE/ LORD, AND THE CARE OF/ THEM WITH THE MOST HIGH”. The 11 names are listed on the adjacent panels.
Directly below the inscription set into the plinth foot is another marble panel with the inscription 1939-1945/ (NAME). The remaining faces of the plinth are inset without marble panels.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: The memorial stands within a hexagonal graveled area bounded by stone kerbs.
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 Hindringham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Like many Norfolk war memorials, Hindringham is situated within the churchyard. It was presumably erected not long after the end of the First World War and commemorates the 11 local servicemen who died in that conflict.
Following the Second World War, a dedication was added to the memorial for the single local casualty from that conflict.
Reasons for Listing
Hindringham war memorial, which is situated in St Martin’s churchyard, 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:
* An elegant cross fleurée memorial with finely carved details.
Group value:
* With the Grade I listed Church of St Martin.
External Links
External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.
Recommended Books
Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)