West Acre and District War Memorial

Village Green, West Acre, Norfolk, PE32 1WB

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

Overview

First World War memorial with further names added after the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1439039
Date first listed:: 21-Oct-2016
List Entry Name:: West Acre and District War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Village Green, West Acre, Norfolk, PE32 1WB

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1439039
Date first listed:: 21-Oct-2016
List Entry Name:: West Acre and District War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Village Green, West Acre, Norfolk, PE32 1WB

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:: Village Green, West Acre, Norfolk, PE32 1WB

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:: West Acre
National Grid Reference:: TF7801315231

Summary

First World War memorial with further names added after the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

West Acre and District War Memorial 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 community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20; * Architectural interest: an ornate and striking fleur-de-lis wheel-head cross; * Group value: with the Church of All Saints (Grade I), the Wooden House (Grade II) and West Acre Priory (scheduled monument).

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 West Acre as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

Following the Second World War, the names of those who lost their lives in that war were also added.

In 2006 the memorial was conserved with the help of grant aid from War Memorials Trust. At this time a bronze dedicatory plaque was added to the memorial along with a replacement base.

Details

MATERIALS: Millstone grit memorial and flint base.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial comprises an ornate fleur-de-lis wheel-head cross on a tapering square shaft. The shaft rises from a square plinth on a round two-stepped base. The first step is formed from four splayed stones. The whole stands on a round sloping base of flints.

The original inscription incised into the plinth is not currently legible. However, it is clear that the front face contained the dedication and that the other faces were inscribed with the names. The rear face is slightly more legible and reads 1939 - 1945/ (NAMES).

A bronze dedicatory plaque is attached to the front of the memorial and reads: ERECTED IN MEMORY OF THE MEN/ FROM WEST ACRE, EAST WALTON/ AND GAYTON THORPE WHO GAVE/ THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN/ THE TWO WORLD WARS OF 1914 – 1918/ AND 1939 – 1945. THEIR NAMES ARE/ INSCRIBED ON A MEMORIAL IN THE/ CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS, WEST ACRE.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 25 July 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 21 July 2016 from www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/130148
War Memorials Register, accessed 25 July 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/72607
War Memorials Trust, accessed 21 July 2016 from www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=585

Legal

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