Summary

First World War memorial with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

Pulham St Mary War Memorial is located at the southern edge of the churchyard of the Church of St Mary (Grade I-listed). It stands in an elevated position, with the front face of the memorial visible from the main road below. The Portland stone Celtic cross rises from a slightly tapered plinth, that stands on a three-stepped base. The cross head is ornamented with a central boss.

A small Maltese cross is incised into the stone on the front (south side) of the plinth, which also bears the incised dedicatory inscription TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN LOVING MEMORY/ OF THOSE IN THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 1918.

The east and west sides of the plinth, and the east face of the top step, bear the names of those killed in the First World War. On the north side of the plinth there is an inscription reading ALSO OF/ THOSE WHO GAVE/ THEIR LIVES IN/ THE 1939-1945 WAR/ (6 NAMES).

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 23 January 2017.

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. One such memorial was raised at Pulham St Mary as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community, who lost their lives in the First World War.

Faculty was granted in 1918 for the war memorial to be erected in the churchyard. It commemorates 23 men from the parish who were killed during the First World War. Of these, the names of three men were added to the memorial in 2008. The names of six men killed in the Second World War were added to the memorial at some point after 1945.

Reasons for Listing

Pulham St Mary War Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary, 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 sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a simple yet dignified Celtic cross memorial;
* Group value: with the Church of St Mary (Grade I-listed).

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26678073

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)