Reasons for Designation
The WW I war memorial in St George's Park, dating from 1922, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural Interest: It is a very large, well-designed and well- proportioned monument, incorporating several fine decorative details.
* Historic Interest: It is a poignant reminder of the tragic impact of world events upon an individual community. The monument commemorates 1,472 men, from the borough of Great Yarmouth, who lost their lives during World War I.
* Intactness/Alteration: Except for minor damage acquired during WW2, and a few replacement stones, the monument is intact.
* Group Value: It stands in a prominent location within St. George's Park and has group value with the World War II war memorial directly to the west of it, executed in a similar style. Furthermore, the memorial can be seen from several listed buildings surrounding the park and the scheduled town walls.
Details
839-1/0/10019 ST GEORGE'S PARK
06-SEP-10 World War I Memorial including Gate an
d Gate Piers
GV II
War memorial, 1922, by F R B Haward.
MATERIALS: The memorial is constructed of large blocks of white granite, with some repairs in pink granite, mostly in the steps to the central monument. WWII damage to the monument, visible on the northern and western faces, has been left unrepaired.
DESCRIPTION: The memorial stands on top of a low, grass-covered mound, set within an octagonal area of paving. The western side of the monument contains the original entrance, consisting of a short flight of steps, flanked by two granite walls with granite terminal piers and a pair of bronze gates at the lower end. The gates are decorated with a central wreath, embossed floral motifs in each corner and several roundels along the edges. Originally, the northern, eastern and southern sides of the monument were bordered by a lawn. Subsequently, steps have been added at the three other cardinal points and a circular path surrounding the base of the mound, enclosed by a metal fence.
The memorial itself consists of four octagonal steps, surmounted by a hollow moulded plinth carrying a large square base with advanced corner facets, supporting a tall, octagonal column with deep corner chamfers. The base is decorated with a frieze in a Celtic-style, interlocking motive. The capstone is separated from the column by a moulded cornice, decorated with a Celtic-style cable design. Each of the four faces of the column is decorated with a cross of sacrifice in high relief: a bronze sword on prominent crosses. The stone crosses have a simple Celtic motif border. A bronze wreath decorates each face of the capstone. The main faces and the corner facets contain a total of twenty-four vertical bronze panels. These are inscribed with the names of 1,472 men killed in action during World War I, and a dedication on one of the panels on its western side.
On the west side of the base the dedication plaque reads:
(Great Yarmouth's coat-of arms)
THIS MEMORIAL
ERECTED BY PUBLIC
SUBSCRIPTION WAS
UNVEILED BY
H.R.H., THE PRINCE
HENRY
AND DEDICATED BY
THE LORD BISHOP
OF NORWICH ON THE
7TH JANUARY 1922
TO PERPETUATE THE
MEMORY OF THE MEN
OF THIS BOROUGH WHO
LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES
FOR KING & COUNTRY
IN THE GREAT WAR
At the base of the column, on its west side, reads:
1914 - 1918
THEY GAVE THEIR ALL
At the base of the column, on its north side, reads:
1914 - 1918
FOR GOD KING AND RIGHT
At the base of the column, on its east side, reads:
1914 - 1918
THEY HEARD THEIR COUNTRY'S CALL
At the base of the column, on its south side, reads:
1914 - 1918
THESE NOBLY PLAYED THEIR PART
HISTORY: The architect of the memorial was Mr Francis R B Haward of Olley and Haward, a local architectural firm. The World War I war memorial is positioned in the central-western part of St. George's Park, a municipal park that was opened in 1866. The memorial was unveiled by H.R.H. Prince Henry on 7th January 1922 and dedicated by the Bishop of Norwich. The monument commemorates the men of the Borough of Great Yarmouth who lost their lives during World War I. The money for the erection was raised by public subscription.
SOURCES:
Boorman, D, At the going down of the Sun: British First World War Memorials (1988)
Brodie, A and Winter, G, England's Seaside Resorts, English Heritage (2007)
Conway, H, People's Parks. The design and development of Victorian Parks in Britain, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1991), 230
Ferry, K, Powerhouses of Provincial Architecture 1837-1914, The Victorian Society (2009), 45 -58
Dictionary of British Architects 1834 -1914, British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects (2001)
Edwards, M, Great Yarmouth War Memorial, Retrieved on 02 February 2010 from www.roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/GtYarmouth.html
Martin, J, Cockrill-Doulton Patent Tiles, Retrieved on 19 February 2010 from www.buildingconservation.com
Pastscape images, Retrieved on 02 February 2010 from www.pastscape.org.uk
Pearson, L, People's Palaces: Britain's Seaside Pleasure Buildings (1991), 53-65
Pevsner, N and Wilson, B, The Buildings of England: Norfolk 1 Norwich and the North-East (2nd ed 1997), 488-529
United Kingdom National Inventory of War Memorials: Ref 19923, Retrieved on 02 February 2010 from http://www.ukniwm.org.uk/
War memorials Trust, Retrieved on 02 February 2010 from http://www.warmemorials.org/
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION
The World War I war memorial in St George's Park, dating from 1922, is recommended for designation at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural Interest: It is a very large, well-designed and well- proportioned monument, incorporating several fine decorative details.
* Historic Interest: It is a poignant reminder of the tragic impact of world events upon an individual community. The monument commemorates 1,472 men, from the borough of Great Yarmouth, who lost their lives during World War I.
* Intactness/Alteration: Except for minor damage acquired during World War II, and a few replacement stones, the monument is intact.
* Group Value: It stands in a prominent location within St. George's Park and has group value with the Grade II listed World War II war memorial directly to the west of it, executed in a similar style. Furthermore, the memorial can be seen from several listed buildings surrounding the park and the scheduled town walls.
This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 20 January 2017.
