Summary
First World War memorial, 1921.
Description
First World War memorial, 1921.
MATERIALS: granite.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in a prominent position on Church Green outside the churchyard to the north of the Church of St Margaret and All Saints (Grade II*).
The memorial comprises a wheel-head cross with a rough-hewn tapering plinth. The memorial is approximately 3.3m tall.
The main inscription in leaded lettering on the north face of the plinth reads THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED/ TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND AS/ A TRIBUTE OF LOVE AND ADMIRATION/ TO THE MEN OF PAKEFIELD/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ THAT ENGLAND MIGHT BE FREE/ OUR FARMS WERE TILLED AND ALL/ THE LAND HAD BREAD,/ BECAUSE YE WATCHED – AND DYING/ WAS YOUR FEE.
A further inscription in leaded lettering on the south face of the plinth reads 4TH AUGUST 1914/ WAR DECLARED/ ARMISTICE SIGNED/ 11TH NOVEMBER 1918/ “THEY CRIED UNTO THE LORD IN THEIR TROUBLE,/ AND HE DELIVERED THEM OUT OF THEIR DISTRESS”.
The names of the fallen are inscribed on the east and west faces of the plinth (west face) ARMY/ (22 NAMES); (east face) NAVY/ (18 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 Pakefield as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The memorial was erected by James Proudfoot and was unveiled on Thursday 5 May 1921 by the Dean of Norwich.
Reasons for Listing
Pakefield War Memorial, which stands on Church Green, 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 First World War.
Architectural interest:
* as a simple but well-executed granite wheel-head cross.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Margaret and All Saints (Grade II*).
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 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)