Little Houghton War Memorial
The Churchyard, Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bedford Road, Little Houghton, Northamptonshire, NN7 1AB
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1428265
- Date first listed:
- 31-Jul-2015
- List Entry Name:
- Little Houghton War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- The Churchyard, Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bedford Road, Little Houghton, Northamptonshire, NN7 1AB
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1428265
- Date first listed:
- 31-Jul-2015
- List Entry Name:
- Little Houghton War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- The Churchyard, Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bedford Road, Little Houghton, Northamptonshire, NN7 1AB
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- The Churchyard, Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bedford Road, Little Houghton, Northamptonshire, NN7 1AB
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- West Northamptonshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Little Houghton
- National Grid Reference:
- SP8034759611
Summary
First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Little Houghton War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the church of St Mary the Virgin, 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 sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: a well-executed medieval-style cross;
* Group value: with the Grade II*-listed church of St Mary the Virgin, 46 Bedford Road (Grade II-listed) and numerous listed monuments in the churchyard.
History
Little Houghton War Memorial was dedicated on 12 October 1919. Further inscriptions were added to commemorate those villagers who died serving during the Second World War.
Details
The war memorial stands south of the church in the churchyard of the Grade II*-listed church of St Mary the Virgin. It overlooks Bedford Road and is adjacent to the former school. A number of listed churchyard monuments stand close by. The memorial is a sturdy, 4m high, Weldon Stone cross with a foliate wheel-head. The octagonal cross shaft, with HIS carved to both front and back on the moulded transition of the cross and shaft, rises from a short octagonal plinth. The plinth stands on a shallow, two-stepped, octagonal base.
The plinth bears Westmoreland slate dedicatory plaques. The main dedication reads TO THE GLORY OF/ GOD/ IN GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF LITTLE/ HOUGHTON WHO LAID/ DOWN THEIR LIVES/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY/1914-1918. The names of those who fell appear on flanking plaques. To the rear a plaque records ALSO TO THOSE WHO IN/ 1939 – 1945/ SERVED AND DIED/ TO PRESERVE OUR/ GLORIOUS HERITAGE (3 NAMES).
This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 17 January 2017.
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 17 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/70022
War Memorials Online, accessed 17 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/221989
Other
“Armistice Day in the Villages, Little Houghton”, Northampton Mercury, 16 November 1928, p3
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 14-Jun-2026 at 12:45:31.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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