Thorpe Langton War Memorial
Churchyard of St Leonard, Church Lane, Thorpe Langton, Leicestershire, LE16 7TR
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1464499
- Date first listed:
- 05-Aug-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Thorpe Langton War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Churchyard of St Leonard, Church Lane, Thorpe Langton, Leicestershire, LE16 7TR
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1464499
- Date first listed:
- 05-Aug-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Thorpe Langton War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Churchyard of St Leonard, Church Lane, Thorpe Langton, Leicestershire, LE16 7TR
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:
- Churchyard of St Leonard, Church Lane, Thorpe Langton, Leicestershire, LE16 7TR
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Leicestershire
- District:
- Harborough (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Thorpe Langton
- National Grid Reference:
- SP7406592440
Summary
A war memorial in the form of a wheel cross constructed of Clipsham stone and erected in 1921.
Reasons for Designation
Thorpe Langton War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* it is 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:
* it is a well-detailed war memorial in the form of a wheel cross.
Group value:
* it has group value with the Chapel of St Leonard (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, 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 Thorpe Langton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by a member of the local community who lost his life in the First World War. The memorial was made by Messrs William Allsop & Sons, monumental masons of Market Harborough and was unveiled on Sunday, 30 January 1921, by Mr HT Mills, JP, and dedicated by the Rector of Little Bowden, Reverend Canon TF Jerwood.
A new polished stone plaque, replicating the inscription that is lichen-encrusted, was added in 2010. This tablet was made by J Stamp & Sons, local monumental masons.
Details
A war memorial of 1921 date.
MATERIALS: constructed of Clipsham stone and other stone.
DESCRIPTION: comprising a carved wheel cross on a shaft above a plinth with simply-moulded cap, on a single-stepped square base. The plinth bears the inscriptions in incised lettering and reads: ERECTED BY THE INHABITANTS OF/ THORPE LANGTON/ TO THE MEMORY OF/ GNR HG PALMER/ 119TH ARMY BRIGADE RFA/ KILLED IN ACTION/ JUNE 21st 1917 AT YPRES/ HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY/ GREATER HONOUR HATH NO MAN THAN THIS.
Sources
Websites
UK National Inventory of War Memorials - Gunner H G Palmer, accessed 24 May 2019 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/37835
War Memorials Online - Thorpe Langton - Gunner H.G. Palmer Memorial, accessed 24 May 2019 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/201520/
Memorial Cross, St Leonard's Churchyard - Thorpe Langton, accessed 24 May 2019 from http://www.leicestershirewarmemorials.co.uk/war/memorials/view/1146
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 25-Jun-2026 at 10:39:00.
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.