Narborough War Memorial Cross
c40m east of All Saints' Church, The churchyard, Main Road, Narborough, Norfolk, PE32 1XL
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1453786
- Date first listed:
- 03-Apr-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Narborough War Memorial Cross
- Statutory Address:
- c40m east of All Saints' Church, The churchyard, Main Road, Narborough, Norfolk, PE32 1XL
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1453786
- Date first listed:
- 03-Apr-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Narborough War Memorial Cross
- Statutory Address 1:
- c40m east of All Saints' Church, The churchyard, Main Road, Narborough, Norfolk, PE32 1XL
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:
- c40m east of All Saints' Church, The churchyard, Main Road, Narborough, Norfolk, PE32 1XL
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Norfolk
- District:
- Breckland (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Narborough
- National Grid Reference:
- TF7470612973
Summary
First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Narborough 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, strikingly placed making a strong visual composition with the church as approached from Main Road.
Group value:
* with the Church of All Saints (Grade I-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 Narborough as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 11 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. Following the Second World War the names of six men who died in that conflict were added to the memorial.
Details
The memorial stands in the churchyard of the Church of All Saints (Grade I-listed). It is prominently situated just inside the churchyard entrance, facing Main Road. The memorial comprises a granite wheel-head cross with a reversed sword carved in low relief on the front face. The cross rises from a tapering plinth with two-stepped base, and is enclosed by a low granite kerb in-filled with chippings. The inscriptions are in applied metal lettering.
The principal dedicatory inscription begins on the front face of the foot of the cross shaft, reading TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ IN MEMORY OF and continuing on the plinth below (11 NAMES)/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES TO/ SAVE THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919. The later Second World War dedication recorded on the rear face of the plinth reads ALSO OF THOSE/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945/ (6 NAMES).
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 10 January 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/56566
Waymarking website: Narborough Great War Memorial, accessed 10 January 2018 from http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMEAGN_Narborough_Great_War_Memorial_Norfolk
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 15-Jun-2026 at 16:52:32.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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