Great Snoring War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions. Latin stone cross and shaft surmounting churchyard wall, with names set into roadside base.

Reasons for Designation

Great Snoring 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 Clipsham stone memorial cross;

* Group value: with the Grade I listed Church of St Mary and the Grade II listed 1, 2 and 4, The Street.

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 Snoring as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War serving in Army units (including colonial services) and the Submarine Service.

The memorial was built by James Dagliss (who also constructed the war memorial cross at Little Walsingham), and was unveiled on 14 May 1921 and dedicated by the Bishop of Norwich. The memorial commemorates 22 local servicemen who died in the First World War and two men who fell in the Second World War. The names were originally incised into the stone base of the memorial but were at some time overlaid with a bronze plaque; presumably prior to the Second World War, since the bronze plaque was extended to record the later details.

Details

MATERIALS: Clipsham stone monument with bronze plaque.

DESCRIPTION: Great Snoring war memorial is located on the churchyard wall of the Grade I listed Church of St Mary, opposite Grade II listed 1, 2, 4 The Street. It is prominently situated just to the left of the churchyard entrance, facing the main road. It comprises a Clipsham stone engrailed cross, on a shaft surmounting the churchyard wall. Bronze name plaques for the First and Second World Wars are fixed below the cross, on the roadside of the flint wall.

The principal dedicatory inscription reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN HONOURED MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR. 1914-1919/ (22 NAMES). On the later plaque, the inscription continues: 1939-1946/ (2 NAMES).

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 3 April 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/20046
War Memorials Register, accessed 3 April 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/210038/

End of official list entry

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