Hillington War Memorial

The churchyard, St Mary's Church, Hillington, Norfolk, PE31 6DE

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

First World War memorial cross,1920, with later additions for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1452658
Date first listed:: 02-Feb-2018
List Entry Name:: Hillington War Memorial
Statutory Address:: The churchyard, St Mary's Church, Hillington, Norfolk, PE31 6DE

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1452658
Date first listed:: 02-Feb-2018
List Entry Name:: Hillington War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: The churchyard, St Mary's Church, Hillington, Norfolk, PE31 6DE

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: The churchyard, St Mary's Church, Hillington, Norfolk, PE31 6DE

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Norfolk
District:: King's Lynn and West Norfolk (District Authority)
Parish:: Hillington
National Grid Reference:: TF7229025211

Summary

First World War memorial cross,1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Hillington War Memorial, which stands in the 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 simple yet poignant Latin cross in a finely dressed stone, contrasting dramatically with the flint rubble walling of the church tower behind.

Group value:

* with the Church of St Mary (Grade II*-listed).

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 Hillington as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 8 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial, supplied by Holman on Lynn, monumental masons, had been unveiled by July 1920. It was at first an obelisk in the churchyard. The plinth and base appear to have been reused and the obelisk replaced with a cross, and moved to the churchyard gate, at a later date. Following the Second World War the names of two servicemen who died in that conflict were added to the plinth.

Details

The stone war memorial cross is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary (Grade II*-listed), prominently situated by the churchyard gates and facing the road outside the church tower. Raised up above the level of the churchyard wall, it comprises a plain Latin cross on a tapering plinth with single-stepped base. The plinth bears the inscriptions in incised lettering.

The inscription reads: IN GRATEFUL MEMORY/ (8 NAMES)/ THEY GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR FRIENDS/ 1939 - 1945/ (2 NAMES)/ HOLMAN OF LYNN. The names are recorded with rank and the year of death.

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, 27 February 2018.

Sources

Websites
Roll of Honour - Norfolk, Hillington, accessed 20 November 2017 from http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/Hillington.html
War Memorials Online, accessed 27 February 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/253593
War Memorials Register, accessed 20 November 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/19672
Other
Thetford & Watton Times and People's Weekly Journal, Saturday 24 July 1920, p6

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.