Ludham War Memorial Cross
c85m north-east of St Catherine's Church, The churchyard, Norwich Road, Ludham, Norfolk, NR29 5QA
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1453781
- Date first listed:
- 03-Apr-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Ludham War Memorial Cross
- Statutory Address:
- c85m north-east of St Catherine's Church, The churchyard, Norwich Road, Ludham, Norfolk, NR29 5QA
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1453781
- Date first listed:
- 03-Apr-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Ludham War Memorial Cross
- Statutory Address 1:
- c85m north-east of St Catherine's Church, The churchyard, Norwich Road, Ludham, Norfolk, NR29 5QA
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:
- c85m north-east of St Catherine's Church, The churchyard, Norwich Road, Ludham, Norfolk, NR29 5QA
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Norfolk
- District:
- North Norfolk (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Ludham
- National Grid Reference:
- TG3885918325
Summary
First World War memorial granite cross, unveiled 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Ludham War Memorial Cross, 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 granite cross, in the Celtic style.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Catherine (Grade I) and nearby Grade II-listed buildings including Church View and Saddlers Shop with cottage adjoining to West.
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 Ludham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 11 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. Various proposals for a suitable memorial, including a lych gate, recreation ground, or almshouses, were made at a public meeting held on 27 March 1919. These were rejected in favour of a memorial cross. Designed and supplied by FJ Perfitt of Stalham, the cross was unveiled on 25 January 1920 by William Wright. Following the Second World War the names of four men who died in that conflict were added. The cross was moved into the churchyard during a road-widening scheme.
Details
The war memorial stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Catherine (Grade I-listed), overlooking Stocks Hill and opposite Grade II-listed buildings including Church View and the Saddlers Shop. It comprises a polished red granite wheel-head cross riding from a tapering plinth that stands on a single-stepped red granite base. The whole is supported by a three-stepped concrete base. The plinth bears the inscriptions.
The principal dedicatory inscription reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ IN PROUD AND TENDER MEMORY OF/ (11 NAMES)/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ 1914 – 1918. The later Second World War inscription to one side of the plinth reads 1939 – 1945/ (4 NAMES).
Sources
Websites
Ludham: A Century of Change, accessed 10 January 2018 from http://www.ludhamarchive.org.uk/bkch41.htm
Ludham Community Archive, accessed 10 January 2018 from http://www.ludhamarchive.org.uk/ww2.htm
Other
“Ludham’s War Memorial”, Yarmouth Independent, 5 April 1919, 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 19-Jun-2026 at 14:41:10.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.