Summary

First World War memorial, 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

First World War memorial, 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in a prominent roadside location, close to the Church of St Mary (Grade I).

The memorial comprises a stone Celtic cross with a tapering shaft and foot bearing a relief-carved laurel wreath on a substantial, gently tapering square plinth and two-stepped square base. The plinth is rough-hewn with inset plain rectangular panels bearing the names of the fallen. The face of the cross is decorated with elaborately carved knotwork.

The main inscription in leaded lettering on the west face of the shaft of the cross reads: TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN/ PROUD AND THANKFUL/ REMEMBRANCE OF THE/ OFFICERS AND MEN/ FROM THE/ PARISH OF BUNGAY/ WHO GAVE/ THEIR LIVES FOR/ KING AND COUNTRY/ IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919/ THEIR NAME LIVETH/ FOR EVERMORE.

The names of the 102 parishioners who gave their lives during the First World War are inscribed in leaded lettering in recessed panels on the north, west and south faces of the plinth.

An additional inscription on the east face of the foot of the cross reads: BUNGAY ROLL OF HONOUR/ THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945. Beneath this on the plinth are 37 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 Bungay as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

It was designed by Alexander MacDonald and Co (architects). The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 13 November 1921 by E H Wightman JP.

The names of those parishioners who fell during the Second World War were subsequently added to the memorial.

Reasons for Listing

Bungay War Memorial, which stands in a prominent roadside location close to the Church of St Mary, 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 conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* as an elegant and well-executed wheel-head cross with carved decorative details.

Group value:

* with the Church of St Mary (Grade I).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66479849

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

• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments