Wortham War Memorial
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Church Road, Wortham, Suffolk, IP22 1SL
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1470613
- Date first listed:
- 04-Jan-2021
- List Entry Name:
- Wortham War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Church of St Mary the Virgin, Church Road, Wortham, Suffolk, IP22 1SL
Location
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Official list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1470613
- Date first listed:
- 04-Jan-2021
- List Entry Name:
- Wortham War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Church of St Mary the Virgin, Church Road, Wortham, Suffolk, IP22 1SL
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:
- Church of St Mary the Virgin, Church Road, Wortham, Suffolk, IP22 1SL
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Suffolk
- District:
- Mid Suffolk (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Wortham
- National Grid Reference:
- TM0834178728
Summary
A First World War memorial unveiled in 1921, with additions made after the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Wortham War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a well-executed stone cross.
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 Church of St Mary the Virgin (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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Wortham 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 built by J Cooley and Son and was unveiled on 24 July 1921 by Brig-Gen Lord Playfair CVO and dedicated by Rev J F E Fanning. The names of three parishioners who lost their lives during the Second World War were subsequently added.
Details
A First World War memorial unveiled in 1921, with additions made after the Second World War.
MATERIALS: Portland stone.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is situated in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary the Virgin (Grade I), about 70m south of the church. The memorial is approximately 4.8m tall and is composed of an unadorned cross set upon an octagonal, tapered shaft. The shaft is set onto a square pedestal with chamfered and carved corners and is positioned on a deep, two-stepped plinth.
An inscription is engraved on the west face of the pedestal which reads: IN/ GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THE/ MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914-1918/ FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH/ ALSO/ 1939-1945/ (3 NAMES).
The names of the 35 men who lost their lives in the First World War are engraved on the other three faces of the pedestal.
Sources
Websites
Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, ref. 4902, accessed 11 May 2020 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/4902
War Memorials Online, ref. WMO266542, accessed 11 May 2020 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/266542/
Other
‘War memorial unveiled and dedicated at Wortham’, The Diss Express and Norfolk and Suffolk Journal, 29 July 1921.
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 07-Jun-2026 at 06:20:00.
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.