Summary
First World War memorial with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
First World War memorial with later additions for the Second World War.
MATERIALS: stone.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located in the churchyard of the Grade I listed All Saints Church. It comprises a stone wheel-head cross on a tapering plinth with moulded cap, on a single-stepped base. The plinth bears the following inscriptions in incised lettering: IN HONOUR OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED/ AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF/ THE MEN FROM THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR KING AND COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1918/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE// (NAMES)// (NAMES)/ 1939 – 1945.
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 Swanton Morley as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Swanton Morley War Memorial was unveiled on 23 July 1920 and, like many Norfolk war memorials, was situated within the churchyard. The memorial commemorates 13 (originally 12, one added later) local servicemen who fell in the First World War and four men who fell in the Second World War.
Reasons for Listing
Swanton Morley War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* 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;
Group value:
* with the Grade I listed Church of All Saints.
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
London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Period Property Manual (New Ed)
Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)