Summary
First World War memorial, 1920.
Description
First World War memorial, 1920.
MATERIALS: constructed from Portland stone.
PLAN: located in St Ethelbert’s churchyard, approximately 6m west of the chancel.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is 2.7 tall. At the head is a Canterbury cross with laurel wreath moulding, with a tapering rectangular shaft, a tapering square plinth and a single-stepped base.
The main inscription in incised lettering on the east face of the plinth reads:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN MEMORY OF / THE MEN OF FALKENHAM / WHO DIED FOR / KING AND COUNTRY / 1914 – 1918. The names of the 12 fallen soldiers are inscribed on the other three sides of the plinth.
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 the official policy of not repatriating the dead: memorials, therefore, provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised in St Ethelbert’s churchyard 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 unveiled on Sunday 24 October 1920 by Major General Sir Arthur Money.
Cleaned in 2018 and fully legible.
Reasons for Listing
Falkenham War Memorial 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:
* as a restrained, well-executed war memorial cross which survives unaltered.
Group value:
* with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Ethelbert and Falkenham Hall, 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
Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)