Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled 1920, with Second World War additions.
Description
First World War memorial, 1920.
MATERIALS: red granite, concrete.
DESCRIPTION: Feltwell War Memorial is located in a semi-circular roadside enclosure, bounded by walls, adjacent to the south-west corner of the churchyard of the Church of St Mary (Grade I-listed).
The memorial is comprised of a polished, red granite wheel-head cross rising from a tapering plinth on a square base. This surmounts a three-stepped concrete base on a broad, stone-slab platform. The plinth bears the inscriptions and names in incised lettering, painted white.
The principal inscription is to the south face of the plinth and reads: IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL/ MEMORY OF THE MEN OF/ THIS PARISH, WHO GAVE THEIR/ LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1918. The 46 names are on the remaining faces.
Beneath the principal inscription, on the plinth base, is the inscription: WORLD WAR 1939-1945/ (nine names).
To the north-east of the memorial is a red brick wall with a stone pediment and base, carrying a polished, black granite plaque dedicated to the No 75 (New Zealand) Squadron.*
* Pursuant to s1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that these aforementioned features are not of special architectural or historic interest due to its date of construction.
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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Feltwell as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Fundraising for Feltwell War Memorial was underway by at least early 1919, with a War Memorial Fund having been set up and various public fundraising events being organised. Land to the south-west of the churchyard, which according to historic mapping had already been enclosed by 1905, was donated by Mr C Hardinge. Local press reports suggest that Mr Horace Edmund King and Mr Lemon Payne were largely responsible for the memorial. It commemorates 46 local servicemen who fell in the First World War and nine men who fell in the Second World War. It was unveiled on 12 December 1920. The memorial cross received grant funding in 2017 to repaint the lettering.
A separate memorial dedicated to the No 75 (New Zealand) Squadron (not listed), who were based at RAF Feltwell during the Second World War, was erected within the enclosed area in November 2003.
Reasons for Listing
Feltwell War Memorial, which is situated in St Mary’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:
* As a simple yet well-executed granite cross;
Group value:
* For its relationship with the Grade I-listed Church of St Mary.
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)
Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)