Wiggenhall St Germans War Memorial

Wiggenhall St Germans War Memorial, St Germans Churchyard, Lynn Road, Wiggenhall St Germans, Norfolk, PE34 3EU

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Overview

First and Second World War memorial. Erected around 1920 with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.
Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1458450
Date first listed:
28-Aug-2018
List Entry Name:
Wiggenhall St Germans War Memorial
Statutory Address:
Wiggenhall St Germans War Memorial, St Germans Churchyard, Lynn Road, Wiggenhall St Germans, Norfolk, PE34 3EU
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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1458450
Date first listed:
28-Aug-2018
List Entry Name:
Wiggenhall St Germans War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:
Wiggenhall St Germans War Memorial, St Germans Churchyard, Lynn Road, Wiggenhall St Germans, Norfolk, PE34 3EU

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:
Wiggenhall St Germans War Memorial, St Germans Churchyard, Lynn Road, Wiggenhall St Germans, Norfolk, PE34 3EU

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:
Wiggenhall St. Germans
National Grid Reference:
TF5966914029

Summary

First and Second World War memorial. Erected around 1920 with the names of the Fallen of the Second World War added after 1945.

Reasons for Designation

Wiggenhall St Germans War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Germans, Wiggenhall St Germans, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as a simple, but well executed Latin cross in granite.

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.

Group value:

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

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw an unprecedented wave of public commemoration with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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 Wiggenhall St Germans, as permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was presumably erected around 1920. The memorial commemorates 21 local servicemen who fell in the First World War and four men who fell in the Second World War.

Details

First World War memorial, erected around 1920.

MATERIALS: Carved from grey granite

DESCRIPTION: Wiggenhall St Germans War Memorial is located in the churchyard of the Church of St Germans, Lynn Road, Wiggenhall St Germans, Norfolk. It is prominently situated off the churchyard path. It comprises a polished granite plain cross on a tall shaft, tapering plinth with moulded cap, and two-stepped base. The whole within a small square, kerbed enclosure. The plinth bears the First World War inscriptions and the upper tier of the base carries the Second World War inscription.

The inscription is incised and reads TO THE MEMORY OF OUR FALLEN / (NAMES) / GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS / THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS / FRIENDS / ST JOHN IV.13 // 1939 – 1945 / (NAMES). The south face of the plinth is inscribed THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1919 //.

Sources

Websites
Information on war memorials from the War Memorials Online database, accessed 2 July 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/188849

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 Wiggenhall St Germans 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 08:22:48.

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© 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.

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