Summary
First World War memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions.
Description
First World War memorial, 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.
DESCRIPTION: Whissonsett War Memorial is located in the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, High Street, Whissonsett, Norfolk. It is prominently situated by the churchyard path leading to the church porch. It comprises a stone Latin cross on an octagonal shaft with moulded foot and shield of St George in relief to the front, on a four-sided plinth with heavily notched upper corners, on a two-tiered base and concrete foundation. The plinth bears the First World War inscriptions and the upper tier of the base bears the Second World War inscription.
The inscription reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN HONOURED/ MEMORY OF THE/ MEN OF WHISSONSETT/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918/ (NAMES)// THEIR NAME/ LIVETH/ FOR EVERMORE// 1939 – 1945/ (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 Whissonsett as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Whissonsett, like many Norfolk war memorials, was situated within the churchyard. The memorial was built by Mr Harrison of Fakenham and unveiled on Sunday 3 April, 1921 by the Reverend Humphrey Barclay, MC, who had been Chaplain to the 4th Cavalry Brigade. The memorial commemorates 10 local servicemen who fell in the First World War and seven men who fell in the Second World War.
Reasons for Listing
Whissonsett War Memorial, which is situated in St Mary’s 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 this local community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* a simple but well-executed stone cross.
Group value:
* with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Mary and the Grade II-listed Turnstile to the south-west of the 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
Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)