Summary
First World War memorial, probably erected in the early 1920s, altered after the Second World War.
Description
First World War memorial, probably erected in the early 1920s, altered after the Second World War.
MATERIALS : constructed of granite.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is rectangular on plan and takes the form of a tapering rough-hewn granite obelisk supporting a wheel-head cross. The north, south and west faces of the obelisk feature granite panels with lead lettering. The north face inscription reads: 1914 – 18/ (NAMES)/ FORGET NOT THEM, O LAND/ FOR WHOM THEY DIED. The south face of the memorial reads: ROLL OF HONOUR/ 1939-1945/ (NAMES). The west face inscription reads: TO THE HONOUR OF THE/ SONS OF THESE ISLANDS/ WHO SERVED IN THE/ GREAT WARS/ 1914 – 18/ 1939 – 45.
The memorial is surrounded by a small paved area which extends to the east.
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 Old Town 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 at Old Town is likely to have been raised in the early 1920s. Further names were then added to the memorial after the Second World War, to commemorate those who had been killed during the conflict.
The memorial contains the names of four women from the parish who were killed during the conflicts. Cicely F. Dorrien-Smith died in 1915 while volunteering in France. Sylvia Jenkins, Dorothy Paige and Barbara Watts are included in the inscription commemorating those lost during the Second World War.
Reasons for Listing
Old Town War Memorial, erected in the early 1920s, 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 and elegant memorial taking the form of a tapering plinth with wheel-head cross.
Group value:
* the memorial is situated next to the Grade II* listed Old Church of St Mary along with several listed headstones.
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
Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
For the Record
Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)