Horning War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial with Second World War addition.

Reasons for Designation

Horning war memorial, which is situated in St Benedict’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:

* A well-executed Celtic wheel-head cross memorial.

Group Value:

* With the Grade II* listed Church of St Benedict.

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 Horning as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Like many Norfolk war memorials, the example at Horning is situated within the churchyard. The memorial was presumably erected not long after the end of the conflict. It originally commemorated 10 local servicemen who died in the First World War. Historic photographs show that the phrase 'MORS JANUA VITAE' was originally inscribed below the list of names on the plinth. However, this was altered at a later date so that an additional name could be included and the phrase was re-inscribed on the upper surface of the base.

Following the Second World War a dedication was added for the single casualty from that conflict.

The gravelled area surrounding the memorial is a later addition.

Details

First World War memorial with Second World War addition.

DESCRIPTION: Horning war memorial is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Benedict (Grade II* listed). It is situated to the east of the churchyard path leading to the church.

It takes the form of a stone Celtic wheel-head cross with carved knot-work to the cross-head and upper half of shaft. This rises from a four-sided, tapering plinth with moulded cap surmounting a single-stepped, rock-faced base. The lower half of the shaft, and the plinth, carry the inscriptions in incised lettering, painted black.

INSCRIPTION: The principal inscription is to the west face of the shaft and reads: TO THE/ GLORY/ OF GOD/ AND IN/ ENDURING/ REMEMBRANCE/ OF THE MEN/ OF/ HORNING. The inscription continues on the plinth below, WHO FOUGHT BRAVELY AND/ SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914-1919./ ERECTED BY THEIR FELLOW PARISHIONERS/ (11 NAMES). Directly below, to the upper surface of the base are the words: MORS JANUA VITAE.

The dedication to the single casualty from the Second World War is on the north face of the plinth: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN ENDURING REMEMBRANCE/ OF/ (NAME)/ ROYAL NORFOLK REGT/ WHO SACRIFICED HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WORLD WAR 1939-1945/ WHOSOEVER SHALL LOSE HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE/ SHALL SAVE IT.

The memorial stands within a small, square gravelled area, which is a later addition.

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
Geograph, accessed 08 September 2017 from http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4774498
War Memorials Online, accessed 22 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/255065

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