Summary
First World War memorial, wheel-head grey granite cross, on a plinth and step, within an enclosure defined by the churchyard wall including Second World War tablets and dedication.
Reasons for Designation
Hemsby War Memorial, which is situated in St Mary’s Churchyard, 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 conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: as a simple, imposing wheel-head cross in granite, within a memorial enclosure formed of the churchyard wall in local materials including brick and flint cobbles;
* Group value: with the Grade II-listed Church of St Mary the Virgin, two Grade II-listed Cross Bases in the churchyard, and a pair of Coffin Lids in the churchyard (also 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. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also 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.
Details
Hemsby war memorial is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary the Virgin (Grade II-listed), in close proximity to a Grade II-listed C14 cross base and to other listed churchyard monuments. The memorial cross faces the street, standing in a small enclosure with a curved brick and flint wall to the rear.
End of official list entry
