Hepworth War Memorial

St Peter's Churchyard, Church Lane, Hepworth, Suffolk

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

Explore this list entry

Overview

First World War memorial, unveiled 16 May 1920.
Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1454146
Date first listed:
22-Mar-2018
List Entry Name:
Hepworth War Memorial
Statutory Address:
St Peter's Churchyard, Church Lane, Hepworth, Suffolk
User submitted image
Contributed by Sandy Gerrard This photo may not represent the current condition of the site. Over 400,000 images and stories have been added to the Missing Pieces Project so far. Share your story.
View all

Location

Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places. 

There is a problem

Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.

What is the National Heritage List for England?

The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.

The list includes:

Icon Buildings
Icon Scheduled monuments
Icon Parks and gardens
Icon Battlefields
Icon Shipwrecks

Find out more about listing

Local Heritage Hub

Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.

Discover more

Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1454146
Date first listed:
22-Mar-2018
List Entry Name:
Hepworth War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:
St Peter's Churchyard, Church Lane, Hepworth, Suffolk

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
St Peter's Churchyard, Church Lane, Hepworth, Suffolk

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

County:
Suffolk
District:
West Suffolk (District Authority)
Parish:
Hepworth
National Grid Reference:
TL9872474878

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 16 May 1920.

Reasons for Designation

Hepworth War Memorial, which is situated in St Peter’s 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 this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the First World War.

Architectural interest:

* a well-executed Latin cross memorial.

Group value:

* with the Grade II*-listed Church of St Peter.

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 Hepworth as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 13 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was erected by Messrs H L Perfitt (stonemasons) of Diss. It was unveiled on 16 May 1920 by Brigadier-General Lord Playfair and dedicated by the rector, Reverend C E Green.

Details

First World War memorial, 1920.

MATERIALS: grey granite, Portland stone base

DESCRIPTION: Hepworth war memorial is located in the churchyard adjacent to the entrance, to the north of the Church of St Peter (Grade II*-listed).

It is of grey granite and takes the form of a plain Latin cross set in a rough-hewn, rock-like plinth. This surmounts a single-stepped square base of Portland stone.

The main inscription and names are in leaded lettering on a smooth, inset panel on the west face of the plinth, IN GLORIOUS MEMORY OF THE MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR./ (13 NAMES)/ 1914-1918.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 19 January 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/5218
War Memorials Online, accessed 19 January 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/117483/

Other
‘Memorial Cross Dedicated. Ceremony in Hepworth Churchyard’, Bury Free Press, (22 May 1920), pp2

Legal

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

Ordnance survey map of Hepworth War Memorial

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 20:07:09.

Download a full scale map (PDF)
© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

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.

Previous Overview
Next Comments and Photos