Sporle War Memorial

Churchyard of St Mary's Church, The Street, Sporle, Norfolk, PE32 2DS

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

Overview

First World War memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1456072
Date first listed:: 07-Jun-2018
List Entry Name:: Sporle War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Churchyard of St Mary's Church, The Street, Sporle, Norfolk, PE32 2DS

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1456072
Date first listed:: 07-Jun-2018
List Entry Name:: Sporle War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Churchyard of St Mary's Church, The Street, Sporle, Norfolk, PE32 2DS

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

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

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:: Churchyard of St Mary's Church, The Street, Sporle, Norfolk, PE32 2DS

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

County:: Norfolk
District:: Breckland (District Authority)
Parish:: Sporle with Palgrave
National Grid Reference:: TF8492911456

Summary

First World War memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions.

Reasons for Designation

Sporle War Memorial, which is situated in St Mary’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 sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* a simple but well-executed granite cross.

Group value:

* with the Grade I-listed Church of St Mary.

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 Sporle as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Sporle, like many Norfolk war memorials, was situated within the churchyard and commemorates 15 (originally 14, a name added later) local servicemen who fell in the First World War and six men who fell in the Second World War. The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 7 August, 1921, by Sir Richard Winfrey, MP.

The memorial is situated inside a post and chain enclosure. The grassed area within its chained enclosure was block-paved over in c. 2016.

Details

First World War memorial, 1921.

MATERIALS: grey granite

DESCRIPTION: Sporle War Memorial is located in the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, The Street, Sporle, Norfolk. It is prominently situated at the entrance to the churchyard. It comprises a rough-hewn wheel-head cross with Sword of Sacrifice in relief, on a plinth with single-stepped base. This stands on a slightly domed “rockery” style base.

The base of the cross and the plinth bear the inscriptions in leaded lettering: TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ IN MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF SPORLE/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ (NAMES)/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE/ MAY THEY REST IN PEACE// ALSO OF/ THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE WAR 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES)/ JESU, MERCY.

Sources

Websites
War Memorial Register, accessed 3 April 2018 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/56561
War Memorials Online, accessed 3 April 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/140396/
Other
‘War is Hell: Norfolk MP Pleads for Peace: Sporle War Memorial Unveiled, ’Thetford & Watton Times and People's Weekly Journal, Saturday 13 August 1921, p10

Legal

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