Horstead War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 13 November 1921, with Second World War additions.

Reasons for Designation

Horstead War Memorial, which is situated on the village green at the junction of Norwich Road and Mill Road, 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:

* An elegant and well-executed Latin cross bottonée war memorial with finely crafted details.

Group value:

* With the Grade II-listed Recruiting Sergeant Inn.

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

In November 1920 the war memorial committee for Horstead village were considering several possibilities for the design of their war memorial; these included a design submitted by the architect Mr Horsman and the possibility of emulating the design of war memorials in other nearby villages. The memorial was ready to be erected by October 1921 but continued debate over whether it should be located on the village green or within the churchyard caused delays. The village green was eventually agreed upon and the memorial was unveiled on 13 November 1921; the ceremony was presided over by the Dean of Norwich and Captain Michael Falcon, MP. The memorial commemorates the 17 local servicemen that died in the First World War.

Following the Second World War a dedication was added to commemorate the two casualties from that conflict.

Details

First World War memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions.

DESCRIPTION: Horstead War Memorial is located on the village green at the junction of Norwich Road and Mill Road. To the north of the memorial is the Grade II-listed Recruiting Sergeant Inn.

It is of limestone and takes the form of a Latin cross bottonée beneath a gabled canopy. The cross-head has a cusp to each angle with ornamental rays between. This crowns a slender octagonal shaft with decorative collar bearing floral motif carvings in relief; the shaft terminates in a square base with inverse chamfered stops. This rises from a four-sided plinth which is chamfered to the top and corner edges, with inverse chamfered stops to the corners. The plinth has a four-sided chamfered foot, which surmounts a two-stepped octagonal base.

The principal inscription is to the west face of the plinth and reads, TO THE MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF/ HORSTEAD/ WHO DIED FOR/ KING AND COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1918/ MAY THEY REST IN PEACE. The 17 names are listed on the remaining sides of the plinth.

The Second World War dedication is to the west face of the plinth foot, directly below the principal inscription. This consists of the two names of the men who died between the dates 1939 and 1945.

All lettering is incised and painted black.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 11 September 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/65084
War Memorials Online, accessed 11 September 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/210467/

Other
Thetford & Watton Times and People's Weekly Journal, (13 November 1920), pp11
Thetford & Watton Times and People's Weekly Journal, (15 October 1921), pp4

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