Saxlingham Nethergate War Memorial

Summary

War memorial, designed by F W Troup, unveiled in 1921, dedicated to the fallen and survivors of the First World War.

Reasons for Designation

Saxlingham Nethergate 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 the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* for its design by accomplished Scottish architect F W Troup, who is best known for his Arts and Crafts style residential, commercial and civic commissions (a number of which are listed at Grade II).

Group value:

* with nearby designated heritage assets, including a K6 telephone kiosk, an old school house, and a number of houses (all 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. 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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Saxlingham Nethergate as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who fought and lost their lives in the First World War.

The war memorial at Saxlingham Nethergate was designed by Francis William Troup FRIBA (1859-1941), a Scottish architect, best known for his Arts and Crafts style residential, commercial and civic commissions (a number of which are listed at Grade II). Troup provided his services as a gift to the local community, and construction of the memorial was carried out by local workmen. The form of the monument was suggested by Mrs Campbell Steward of the Old Hall, and based on the Butter Cross at Castle Combe, about 15 miles from Bath, where a market cross is covered by a pyramidal roof and supported on stone piers (listed at Grade II). The tiles for the Saxlingham Nethergate memorial were reclaimed from a house in the village, and the bricks were provided by the local brickyard. It is reported that the memorial won the Royal Academy Award for the best rural village memorial erected in England in 1921.

The war memorial was unveiled in a ceremony by Mrs Campbell Steward on 5 June 1921, and dedicated by the Bishop of Norwich. Unusually, the Saxlingham Nethergate memorial commemorates the lives of 16 local men who fell during the First World War, as well as 81 local men who served in and survived the war. A number of local men served during the Second World War, however no lives were lost, and no names were added to the war memorial.

Details

War memorial, designed by F W Troup, unveiled in 1921, dedicated to the fallen and survivors of the First World War.

The war memorial comprises a square-plan roofed structure incorporating a central market cross, over a tapered stone plinth, red brick base and raised platform. The pyramidal roof has a pin-tile roof covering over an oak frame, and is supported by red brick corner piers. The names of 16 local men who fell during the First World War are displayed on a bronze plaque inlaid on the central stone plinth. The north-east and south-east corner piers bear stone slabs on their outer faces, inscribed with the names of 81 local men who served in and survived the First World War. The east and west elevations of the platform each bear three segmental red brick steps (replaced about 1990). The memorial is prominently located on a triangular green at the junction of The Street, Pitt’s Hill and Church Hill.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 22 November 2017.

Sources

Websites
Saxlingham War Memorials, accessed 11 July 2017 from http://saxlinghamwarmemorials.org.uk/?page_id=57
War Memorials Online, accessed 22 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/153988

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