Summary
A First World War memorial located in Freethorpe Methodist Church's cemetery and dating to c.1920.
Description
First World War memorial, erected around 1920.
MATERIALS: red granite
PLAN: square in plan
DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises a polished red granite urn atop a four-sided red granite pillar with crown-shaped moulded cap with incised floral motifs, on a red granite plinth, beneath which is a two-stepped stone base. The whole is within a small, kerbed, gravelled square bounded by 8 low, decorative iron posts connected by thick chains.
The inscription is incised on the pillar and reads: THIS MONUMENT/ IS ERECTED/ SACRED/ TO THE MEMORY OF/ THOSE OF THIS PARISH/ WHOSE NAMES APPEAR/ HEREWITH/ WHO MADE THE SUPREME/ SACRIFICE DURING THE/ GREAT WAR/ AUG 1914 – NOV 1918/ GREATER LOVE HATH NO/ MAN THAN THIS, THAT A/ MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE/ FOR HIS FRIENDS// (NAMES)// (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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Freethorpe as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Freethorpe War Memorial is located in the cemetery to the rear of Freethorpe Methodist Church, Freethorpe, Norfolk. It is prominently situated adjacent to the main path running north from the church through the length of the cemetery. It is unusual for Norfolk in that the memorial is situated within the Methodist Church’s cemetery. It cannot be seen from the main road, Chapelfield. The memorial was presumably erected, around 1920. The memorial commemorates 14 local servicemen who fell in the First World War and two men who fell in the Second World War.
Reasons for Listing
Freethorpe War Memorial, which is situated in the cemetery of Freethorpe Methodist Church and dating to around 1920, 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 but well-executed red granite pillar with urn.
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
Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
England's Post-War Listed Buildings
Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)