Summary

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

Description

Brooke War Memorial is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Peter, The Street, Brooke, South Norfolk. It is prominently situated to the S side of the church by the churchyard path. It comprises a stone floriated cross on a tall octagonal shaft with moulded collar, set onto a square-section corniced plinth bearing inscriptions. The whole is set upon a moulded square-section base.

The inscription is incised and on the front (S) face of the plinth reads TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN/ HONOURED MEMORY/ OF THOSE/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918. The names of those of fell in the First World War appear on the E and W faces of the plinth. To the rear the inscription reads 1939 – 45/ (NAMES).

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.

Brooke War Memorial, like many Norfolk war memorials, was situated within the churchyard. The memorial was presumably erected, circa 1920 and it commemorates 17 local servicemen who fell in the First World War and five men who fell in the Second World War.

Reasons for Listing

Brooke War Memorial, which is situated in the churchyard of the Church of St Peter, 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 floriated stone cross;
* Group value: with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Peter and the Grade II-listed Old Vicarage.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478426

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

• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)