Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled 3 October 1919.
Description
First World War memorial, 1919.
DESCRIPTION: Honing war memorial is located in the churchyard, to the east of the Grade II*-listed Church of St Peter and St Paul.
It is of Clipsham sandstone and takes the form of a small wheel-head cross fleurée above a moulded collar with floral carvings. This crowns a slender, fluted shaft, which terminates in a square base with inverted chamfered stops to the corners. The shaft rises from a four-sided plinth with a moulded foot, surmounting a three-stepped octagonal base. The whole stands on an octagonal concrete platform.
The plinth bears the inscriptions and names, carved in relief. The east face reads TO THE PRAISE OF GOD/ AND IN GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THE MEN FROM HONING WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE WAR/ 1914 – 1919. The 13 names are listed on the remaining faces of the plinth grouped by regiment or military service.
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 Honing as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 13 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Formal discussions about a memorial for the parish of Honing began in July 1918, with a scheme agreed in March 1919. The proposal was to erect a memorial cross on an area known as the ‘Parish Plain’ (which now forms part of the churchyard). The memorial cost just under £190 and was paid for by public subscription. It was commissioned from Messrs Cornish and Gaymer of North Walsham, designed by John Gaymer.
The memorial was unveiled on 3 October 1919 and dedicated by the Bishop of Norwich. At the time of its unveiling 11 names were listed on the memorial. However, in 1924, a further two names were added to the memorial of men who had died from their wounds after the end of the war. The work was again done by Cornish and Gaymer.
In 2012 the memorial was restored following grant funding from War Memorials Trust.
Reasons for Listing
Honing War Memorial , which is situated in St Peter and St Paul’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 the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the First World War.
Architectural interest:
* an elegant wheel-head cross fleurée memorial with finely carved details.
Group value:
* with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Peter and St Paul.
External Links
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Recommended Books
Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)