Narborough War Memorial Cross, Narborough, Norfolk

Entry Name: Narborough War Memorial Cross

Listing Date: 3 April 2018

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1453786

ID on this website: 101453786

Location: All Saint's Church, Narborough, Breckland, Norfolk, PE32

County: Norfolk

District: Breckland

Civil Parish: Narborough

Built-Up Area: Narborough

Traditional County: Norfolk

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Norfolk

Tagged with: War memorial

Summary

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

Description

The memorial stands in the churchyard of the Church of All Saints (Grade I-listed). It is prominently situated just inside the churchyard entrance, facing Main Road. The memorial comprises a granite wheel-head cross with a reversed sword carved in low relief on the front face. The cross rises from a tapering plinth with two-stepped base, and is enclosed by a low granite kerb in-filled with chippings. The inscriptions are in applied metal lettering.

The principal dedicatory inscription begins on the front face of the foot of the cross shaft, reading TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ IN MEMORY OF and continuing on the plinth below (11 NAMES)/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES TO/ SAVE THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919. The later Second World War dedication recorded on the rear face of the plinth reads ALSO OF THOSE/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945/ (6 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. 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 Narborough as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 11 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. Following the Second World War the names of six men who died in that conflict were added to the memorial.

Reasons for Listing

Narborough War Memorial Cross, which stands in the 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:

* a simple yet poignant granite cross, strikingly placed making a strong visual composition with the church as approached from Main Road.

Group value:

* with the Church of All Saints (Grade I-listed).

External Links

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