Summary

First World War memorial, 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

Brisley War Memorial is located in the churchyard of St Bartholomew’s Church, Church Street, Brisley, Norfolk. It is prominently situated by the churchyard path leading to the church entrance. It comprises a Latin stone cross atop a tapering shaft, which stands on a tall plinth with deep, moulded cornice and recessed inscription panels, beneath which is a two-stepped stone base. The plinth carries the inscriptions.

The inscription on the front face of the plinth is in incised lettering and reads TO THE GLORY/ OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF/ BRISLEY MEN/ FALLEN/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ AND/ 1939 – 1945/ THEIR NAME/ LIVETH/ FOR EVERMORE/ (NAMES). Two other faces of the plinth also carry the names of the fallen.

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, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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.

Brisley War Memorial, like many Norfolk war memorials, was situated within the churchyard. The memorial was unveiled in April 1920. The memorial commemorates 13 local servicemen who fell in the First World War and three men who fell in the Second World War.

Reasons for Listing

Brisley War Memorial, which is situated in St Bartholomew’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 this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: as an elegant example of a stone Latin cross war memorial;
* Group value: with the Grade I-listed Church of St Bartholomew and the Grade II-listed Church Bungalows.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478425

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.

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