Great Plumstead War Memorial
The churchyard, St Mary's Church, Church Road, Great Plumstead, Norfolk, NR13 5AB
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1446443
- Date first listed:
- 15-Jun-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Great Plumstead War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- The churchyard, St Mary's Church, Church Road, Great Plumstead, Norfolk, NR13 5AB
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1446443
- Date first listed:
- 15-Jun-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Great Plumstead War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- The churchyard, St Mary's Church, Church Road, Great Plumstead, Norfolk, NR13 5AB
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, St Mary's Church, Church Road, Great Plumstead, Norfolk, NR13 5AB
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Norfolk
- District:
- Broadland (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Great and Little Plumstead
- National Grid Reference:
- TG3019909946
Summary
First World War memorial, 1920, with Second World War additions. Wheel-head stone cross on a tapering plinth with single-stepped base.
Reasons for Designation
Great Plumstead 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 but well-executed stone wheel-head cross;
* Group value: with the Grade II listed Church of St Mary the Virgin.
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.
One such memorial was raised at Great Plumstead 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 was unveiled and dedicated in 1920, commemorating ten local servicemen who had died. Following the Second World War the names of two men who died in that conflict were added.
Details
First World War memorial, 1920, with Second World War additions.
MATERIALS: granite wheel-head cross.
DESCRIPTION: Great Plumstead War Memorial is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary the Virgin (Grade II). It is prominently situated to the left of the path leading to the south porch of the church. The memorial comprises a stone wheel-head cross on a steeply tapering, four-sided plinth, with a single-stepped base below. The memorial is signed POTTER but the identity of this maker is unconfirmed.
The incised inscription to the east face of the plinth reads: SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF/ (10 NAMES) / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN/ THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918 whilst the later inscription to the south side reads: ALSO OF/ (NAME)/ 1939 - 1945 / (NAME).
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 3 April 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/19816
War Memorials Online, accessed 3 July 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/104224
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 21-Jun-2026 at 15:49:21.
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.