Pakefield War Memorial

Church Green, Causeway, Pakefield, Suffolk, NR33 0JZ

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

Overview

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

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1458640
Date first listed:: 28-Aug-2018
List Entry Name:: Pakefield War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Church Green, Causeway, Pakefield, Suffolk, NR33 0JZ

War Memorial at Pakefield Church, Suffolk. The Memorial is a Celtic cross on a granite plinth. — Uploaded by Trudie Jackson This photo may not represent the current condition of the site
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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1458640
Date first listed:: 28-Aug-2018
List Entry Name:: Pakefield War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Church Green, Causeway, Pakefield, Suffolk, NR33 0JZ

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:: Church Green, Causeway, Pakefield, Suffolk, NR33 0JZ

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

County:: Suffolk
District:: East Suffolk (District Authority)
Parish:: Lowestoft
National Grid Reference:: TM5386790532

Summary

First World War memorial, 1921.

Reasons for Designation

Pakefield War Memorial, which stands on Church Green, 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 First World War.

Architectural interest:

* as a simple but well-executed granite wheel-head cross.

Group value:

* with the Church of St Margaret and All Saints (Grade II*).

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 Pakefield as a 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 erected by James Proudfoot and was unveiled on Thursday 5 May 1921 by the Dean of Norwich.

Details

First World War memorial, 1921.

MATERIALS: granite.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in a prominent position on Church Green outside the churchyard to the north of the Church of St Margaret and All Saints (Grade II*).

The memorial comprises a wheel-head cross with a rough-hewn tapering plinth. The memorial is approximately 3.3m tall.

The main inscription in leaded lettering on the north face of the plinth reads THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED/ TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND AS/ A TRIBUTE OF LOVE AND ADMIRATION/ TO THE MEN OF PAKEFIELD/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ THAT ENGLAND MIGHT BE FREE/ OUR FARMS WERE TILLED AND ALL/ THE LAND HAD BREAD,/ BECAUSE YE WATCHED – AND DYING/ WAS YOUR FEE.

A further inscription in leaded lettering on the south face of the plinth reads 4TH AUGUST 1914/ WAR DECLARED/ ARMISTICE SIGNED/ 11TH NOVEMBER 1918/ “THEY CRIED UNTO THE LORD IN THEIR TROUBLE,/ AND HE DELIVERED THEM OUT OF THEIR DISTRESS”.

The names of the fallen are inscribed on the east and west faces of the plinth (west face) ARMY/ (22 NAMES); (east face) NAVY/ (18 NAMES).

Sources

Websites
War Memorial Register, accessed 19 June 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/5009
War Memorials Online, accessed 19 June 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/183801

Legal

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