Summary
First World War memorial including stone obelisk and lions, and original railings, with Second World War additions.
Description
Dersingham War Memorial is located at the north-east corner of Dersingham Recreation Ground, at the junction of Station Road and Hunstanton Road. It is prominently situated facing the road, closely surrounded by a square of railings. The monument comprises a stone obelisk raised on a tall, rusticated, pier, square on plan. A stone wing projects from each of the two front-facing corners of the pier, whilst the base of the pier is stepped. The wings each support a sculpted recumbent lion.
The four sides of the pier carry the inscriptions in recent polished granite panels:
(front upper panel) FOR GOD/ AND/ HUMANITY and FOR KING/ AND/ COUNTRY flanking a wreath encircling a coat of arms carved in low relief with, below, R.I.P/ (48 NAMES)
(front lower panel) 1939 -1945/ (19 NAMES)
(right panel) ROLL OF HONOUR/ OVERSEA SERVICE/ (78 NAMES)/ HOME SERVICE/ (44 NAMES)
(left panel) ROLL OF HONOUR/ OVERSEA SERVICE/ (128 NAMES)
(rear panel) THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED/ BY THE/ PEOPLE OF DERSINGHAM/ IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF/ THOSE WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ AND ALL/ WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1919.
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.
By early 1923 one such memorial had been raised at Dersingham, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 48 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial also names all those who served. Following the Second World War the names of 19 men who died in that conflict were added to the memorial.
The Parish Council took responsibility for the memorial and its upkeep at a meeting in February 1923. The site was renovated in 2008.
Reasons for Listing
Dersingham War Memorial, which stands at the junction of Station Road and Hunstanton Road, 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:
* A striking stone memorial obelisk on a substantial rusticated pier, incorporating two sculpted recumbent lions, within its original railed enclosure.
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
For the Record
Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings