History in Structure

Wereham War Memorial

A Grade II Listed Building in Wereham, Norfolk

We don't have any photos of this building yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

Coordinates

Latitude: 52.587 / 52°35'13"N

Longitude: 0.4797 / 0°28'46"E

OS Eastings: 568082

OS Northings: 301684

OS Grid: TF680016

Mapcode National: GBR P73.VF0

Mapcode Global: WHKR5.B7NL

Plus Code: 9F42HFPH+QV

Entry Name: Wereham War Memorial

Listing Date: 28 January 2019

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1457775

ID on this website: 101457775

Location: St Margaret's Church, Wereham, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Norfolk, PE33

County: Norfolk

District: King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Civil Parish: Wereham

Built-Up Area: Wereham

Traditional County: Norfolk

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Norfolk

Tagged with: War memorial

Summary


First and Second World War memorial. Erected around 1920 with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.

Description


First and Second World War memorial. Erected around 1920 with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.

MATERIALS: Carved from limestone.

DESCRIPTION: Wereham War Memorial is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Margaret, Wereham, Norfolk. It is prominently situated in a gap made in the churchyard wall, overlooking the village pond and green. It comprises an approximately 4m stone Latin cross surmounting an octagonal shaft with moulded table/collar at the top, and moulded base section, atop a four-sided plinth with moulded upper edges and corners, on a two-stepped, stone base. The whole is set into a gap in the churchyard wall, and separated from passers-by by a semi-circular railing. The plinth bears the inscriptions on brass plaques (originally the inscriptions were incised into the stone).

The inscriptions have been replaced by the insertion of brass plaques that read IN/ MEMORY OF / THE MEN OF WEREHAM WHO DIED FOR / THEIR COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1918 / AND THOSE IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR / 1939 – 1945 / (NAMES).

History


The aftermath of the First World War saw an unprecedented wave of public commemoration with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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 Wereham, probably in the early 1920s as permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial commemorates 15 local servicemen who fell in the First World War and two men who fell in the Second World War.

The original inscriptions were replaced by brass plaques, probably in the 1990s.

Reasons for Listing


Wereham War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Margaret, Wereham, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as a simple, but well executed Latin cross in limestone.

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.

Group value:

* with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Margaret, the Grade II-listed Pitt Farmhouse and the Grade II-listed George and Dragon.

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

Other nearby listed buildings

BritishListedBuildings.co.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact BritishListedBuildings.co.uk for any queries related to any individual listed building, planning permission related to listed buildings or the listing process itself.

British Listed Buildings is a Good Stuff website.