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
- 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
Location
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Discover moreOfficial 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
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
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
War Memorials Register, accessed 20 November 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/19672
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
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.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 09-Jun-2026 at 18:26:24.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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