Kirk and Little Smeaton War Memorial
Churchyard of the Church of St Peter, Kirk Smeaton, North Yorkshire, WF8 3JZ
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1436529
- Date first listed:
- 05-Aug-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Kirk and Little Smeaton War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Peter, Kirk Smeaton, North Yorkshire, WF8 3JZ
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1436529
- Date first listed:
- 05-Aug-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Kirk and Little Smeaton War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Peter, Kirk Smeaton, North Yorkshire, WF8 3JZ
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:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Peter, Kirk Smeaton, North Yorkshire, WF8 3JZ
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- North Yorkshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Kirk Smeaton
- National Grid Reference:
- SE5201816619
Summary
First World War memorial with further names added after the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Kirk and Little Smeaton 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 this community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a solemn granite urn memorial with carved decorative details;
* Group value: with the Church of St Peter (listed at Grade II*).
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, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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 Kirk Smeaton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community, who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. It commemorates 58 local servicemen who served during the First World War, seven of whom died. Following the Second World War, a dedication was added to commemorate the two fallen of that conflict.
In 2013 the memorial was conserved and two names added with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust.
Details
MATERIALS: granite.
DESCRIPTION: Kirk and Little Smeaton War Memorial is situated in a small enclosure defined by a low granite kerb which is filled with shingle. It comprises a tapering pillar surmounted by an urn. The pillar rises from a three-tiered plinth and a single-step base, all constructed of grey granite. The names and dedication to the men of Kirk and Little Smeaton who died whilst serving during the First and Second World Wars are incised on the faces of the plinth. A decorative foliate design is also incised into the plinth and the pillar.
The inscription on the front face of the memorial reads: IN/ MEMORY OF/ THOSE WHO FELL/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 - 1918/ (NAMES)/ ALSO/ (NAMES)/ 1939 – 1945. On the side face of the memorial is the inscription: KIRK AND LITTLE/ SMEATON/ ROLL OF HONOUR/ (NAMES).
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Trust, accessed 26 May 2016 from www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=1019
War Memorials Online, accessed 26 May 2016 from www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/191070
War Memorials Register, accessed 26 May 2016 from www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/31011
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 01-Jul-2026 at 21:38:21.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.