Witton War Memorial Cross
c13m north-west of St Margaret's Church, The churchyard, Witton Lane, Witton, Norfolk, NR13 5DN
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1457332
- Date first listed:
- 24-Jul-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Witton War Memorial Cross
- Statutory Address:
- c13m north-west of St Margaret's Church, The churchyard, Witton Lane, Witton, Norfolk, NR13 5DN
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1457332
- Date first listed:
- 24-Jul-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Witton War Memorial Cross
- Statutory Address 1:
- c13m north-west of St Margaret's Church, The churchyard, Witton Lane, Witton, Norfolk, NR13 5DN
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:
- c13m north-west of St Margaret's Church, The churchyard, Witton Lane, Witton, Norfolk, NR13 5DN
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Norfolk
- District:
- Broadland (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Postwick with Witton
- National Grid Reference:
- TG3140909731
Summary
First World War memorial cross, unveiled 1920.
Reasons for Designation
Witton 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 First World War.
Architectural interest:
* a tall wheel-head cross in granite, in the Celtic style;
* unusually, the memorial has not been adapted for Second World War commemoration, and thus retains its original design intent.
Group value:
* with the Church of St Margaret (Grade II*-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 Witton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by three members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 31 October, 1920 and dedicated by the Reverend J Blackbourne CMG (Rector of Acle).
Details
The grey granite war memorial is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Margaret (Grade II*-listed). It is prominently situated by the churchyard path. It comprises a tall rough-hewn wheel-head cross with a sword of sacrifice carved on the front face. The cross stands on a tapering pedestal with single-stepped base below. The cross shaft and pedestal bear the inscriptions in applied metal lettering.
The principal dedicatory inscription begins on the front face of the cross shaft, reading TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ IN HONOURED/ MEMORY OF and continues below on the pedestal THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918./ (3 NAMES)/ “THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE”.
Sources
Other
‘Witton: War Memorial Dedicated’, Thetford & Watton Times and People's Weekly Journal, 6 November 1920, p11
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 28-Jun-2026 at 05:38:57.
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.