Syderstone War Memorial Cross
The churchyard, St Mary's Church, The Street, Syderstone, Norfolk, PE31 8RY
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1457026
- Date first listed:
- 16-Jul-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Syderstone War Memorial Cross
- Statutory Address:
- The churchyard, St Mary's Church, The Street, Syderstone, Norfolk, PE31 8RY
Have you got a photo to share?
Join the Missing Pieces Project. We want you to share your photos and memories.
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
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:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
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 moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1457026
- Date first listed:
- 16-Jul-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Syderstone War Memorial Cross
- Statutory Address 1:
- The churchyard, St Mary's Church, The Street, Syderstone, Norfolk, PE31 8RY
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:
- The churchyard, St Mary's Church, The Street, Syderstone, Norfolk, PE31 8RY
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Norfolk
- District:
- King's Lynn and West Norfolk (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Syderstone
- National Grid Reference:
- TF8328532659
Summary
First World War memorial cross, unveiled 1921, with Second World War and Falklands Conflict additions.
Reasons for Designation
Syderstone 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 war memorial cross, in the Celtic style.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Mary (Grade I).
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 Syderstone as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. Made by Messrs Maile and Son Ltd, it was unveiled on 2 October 1921 in commemoration of 12 local servicemen who died in the First World War. The names of one man who died in the Second World War, and one in the Falklands Conflict, have since been added to the memorial.
Messrs G Maile and Son Ltd of Euston Road, London, were sculptors and church furnishers. The firm was responsible for building numerous war memorials across the country, many of which are listed.
Details
The grey granite memorial cross is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary (Grade I-listed). It is prominently situated by the churchyard path near to the church’s round tower. It comprises a c2.5m rough-hewn wheel-head cross with a sword of sacrifice carved in relief on the front face. The cross stands on a low tapering plinth with a single-stepped base and a cobbled foundation.
The plinth carries the inscriptions in applied metal lettering. The principal dedication reads 1914 – 1918./ TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN/ MEMORY OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ (12 NAMES)/ "MAY THEY REST IN PEACE."/ "THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE"
A small rectangular granite tablet placed on the front step of the base reads 1982 FALKLAND ISLANDS/ (NAME). Below, on the riser of the base, the Second World War dedication reads 1939 - 1945 (NAME)/ ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WENT OUT FROM THE PARISH/ TO SERVE IN THIS WAR RETURNED SAFELY/ THANKS BE TO GOD.
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 8 May 2018 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/20236
Roll of Honour - Norfolk, Syderstone, accessed 8 May 2018 from http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/SyderstoneStMary.html
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 12:48:55.
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.