Tottington War Memorial
Wood Tree Corner, Watton Road, Junction of Sparrow Hill, Thompson, IP24 1PN
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1453992
- Date first listed:
- 16-Mar-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Tottington War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Wood Tree Corner, Watton Road, Junction of Sparrow Hill, Thompson, IP24 1PN
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1453992
- Date first listed:
- 16-Mar-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Tottington War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Wood Tree Corner, Watton Road, Junction of Sparrow Hill, Thompson, IP24 1PN
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:
- Wood Tree Corner, Watton Road, Junction of Sparrow Hill, Thompson, IP24 1PN
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Norfolk
- District:
- Breckland (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Thompson
- National Grid Reference:
- TL9150897530
Summary
First World War Memorial.
Reasons for Designation
Tottington War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* it is 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.
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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Tottingham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Tottingham War Memorial was unveiled by Lord Walsingham at the Tottington Reading Room on 2 May 1920 during a United Service of the Established and Free Churches of Tottington. Out of a population of around 250 people, 60 had joined up to serve in the First World War, and the memorial commemorates the 15 servicemen from Tottington and neighbouring Sturston who fell and the 45 men who returned safely. It was organised by a local War Memorial Committee and funded by public subscription.
Tottington was evacuated when the land was taken over by the War Department during the Second World War and it is now within the Stanford Battle Training Area. To ensure the safety and accessibility of the memorial, it was relocated around 1949 to the adjacent parish of Thompson, half way between Thompson and Merton.
Details
First World War Memorial.
MATERIALS: Portland stone, iron railings.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located in a woodland clearing off the Watton Road. It consists of a square stone pillar with a moulded pyramidal cap embellished with floral relief carvings around the cornice and cable decoration around the topmost section of the pillar. It is surmounted on a three-tiered moulded foot which rests on a single-step base. The memorial is enclosed within gated iron railings with arrow-head finials.
The inscription is incised and reads: ERECTED/ IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THE GALLANT SONS/ OF TOTTINGTON/ WHO FOUGHT FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE GREAT WAR1914 – 1918/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE/ THESE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE/ (NAMES)// IN HONOUR OF THE RETURNED/ (NAMES).
Sources
Websites
UK Inventory of War Memorials, accessed 17 January 2018 from www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/search
Other
Thetford & Watton Times and People's Weekly Journal (Saturday 08 May 1920), p.4, ‘Tottington War Memorial.’; (Saturday 20 November 1920), p.5. ‘Tottington.’; (Friday 3 June 1949), p.3. ‘Eighty Houses Being Built For Stanford “Exiles”.’ (Friday 28 January 1949), p.6., ‘Stanford Memorial to be Re-sited at Merton.’
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 01-Jul-2026 at 12:32:17.
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.