Rusper War Memorial
Churchyard of Church of St Mary Magdalene, High Street, Rusper, RH12 4PX
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1436556
- Date first listed:
- 18-Jul-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Rusper War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Churchyard of Church of St Mary Magdalene, High Street, Rusper, RH12 4PX
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1436556
- Date first listed:
- 18-Jul-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Rusper War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Churchyard of Church of St Mary Magdalene, High Street, Rusper, RH12 4PX
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 Church of St Mary Magdalene, High Street, Rusper, RH12 4PX
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- West Sussex
- District:
- Horsham (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Rusper
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ2054437331
Summary
First World War memorial unveiled on 21 August 1921, with further names added after the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Rusper War Memorial, dedicated on 21 August 1921, 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 simple yet dignified granite obelisk with carved decorative details;
* Group value: with the church of St Mary Magdalene (Grade I) and the Plough Inn opposite (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 Rusper 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 commemorates the 23 local servicemen who died in the First World War.
It was dedicated on 21 August 1921. Following the Second World War the memorial was re-dedicated following the addition of eight names of the fallen from that conflict.
In 2013 the memorial was cleaned and conserved with a grant from War Memorials Trust.
Details
MATERIALS: granite
DESCRIPTION: this war memorial is located within the churchyard of St Mary Magdalene Church (Grade I) facing towards the road. It consists of an obelisk set upon a square plinth. The whole is set upon a three-stepped octagonal base.
The stone of the memorial is rough finished and the plinth bears a plain arched cartouche of polished stone on each of its faces. These panels bear the incised inscriptions and names of the fallen. The front face of the plinth is enriched with a raised carving of a wreath with a cross at its centre. Below this is the inscription: IN / THANKFUL REMEMBRANCE / OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN / THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1919.
On another face of the plinth, following the list of names from the First World War, is inscribed 1939 – 1945 followed by the names of the fallen from the Second World War.
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, 5 December 2016.
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Trust, accessed 6 June 2016 from www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=982
War Memorials Online, accessed 05/12/2016 from www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/107247
War Memorials Register, accessed 05/12/2016 from www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/16677
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 30-Jun-2026 at 06:18:52.
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.