Summary
First World War memorial with Second World War addition.
Description
First World War memorial with Second World War addition.
DESCRIPTION: Spooner Row war memorial is located in the churchyard to the south of the Grade II-listed Spooner Row Church.
It is of rough-hewn grey granite and takes the form of a wheel-head cross rising from a tapering, four-sided plinth, which surmounts a single-step stone base. The south face of the plinth has a smooth inset panel, which bears the dedications and names in leaded lettering. The dedication reads, IN/ GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE/1914-1919/ (15 NAMES)/ 1939 – 1945/ (2 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 Spooner Row as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 15 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. Like many Norfolk war memorials, this example at Spooner Row is situated within the churchyard.
Following the Second World War, the dates of the conflict and the names of the two casualties were added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Spooner Row War Memorial, which is situated in Spooner Row 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 well-executed wheel-head cross memorial.
Group value:
* with the Grade II-listed Spooner Row Church.
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
Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)