Summary
A war memorial in the churchyard of All Saints Church at Hopton in Suffolk commemorating the members of the parish who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars.
Description
A war memorial erected in 1919 in the churchyard of All Saints Church, Hopton, in Suffolk.
MATERIALS: the memorial is formed of ashlar limestone, embellished with carved decoration and inscriptions.
DETAILS: the memorial stands in the churchyard of the Grade-I Church of All Saints, and sited to the south-west of the church entrance. The memorial is 2.5m high and comprises a square stone obelisk with a pyramidal top. Each face of the obelisk is surmounted by an apex with foliate decoration. A horizontal band of relief-carved circles sits between these apexes and the obelisk’s pyramidal top. The memorial is set atop a three-tiered plinth and stands upon a square base.
The main inscription is incised on the west face of the obelisk and reads: IN LOVING MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO LAID/ DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919/ (NAMES)/ GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT/ A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.
Below this, on the west face of the upper step of the plinth is the additional inscription: 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES).
The names of the fallen are grouped by regiment, and the details given include service number, rank, surname, initials and unit.
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 Hopton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 14 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was erected by mason Marcus C Nurse at a cost of £61 10s 9d and unveiled on 28 September 1919.
The names of the two parishioners who fell during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.
Reasons for Listing
Hopton War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the Church of All Saints, 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 well-executed example of a decorated stone churchyard obelisk.
Group value:
* the memorial stands close to the Church of All Saints (listed at Grade I) and High Gables (listed at 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
Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)