Thurton War Memorial
Churchyard of the Church of St Ethelbert, Hall Road, Thurton, Norfolk, NR14 6AG
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1466440
- Date first listed:
- 02-Oct-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Thurton War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Ethelbert, Hall Road, Thurton, Norfolk, NR14 6AG
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1466440
- Date first listed:
- 02-Oct-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Thurton War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Churchyard of the Church of St Ethelbert, Hall Road, Thurton, Norfolk, NR14 6AG
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 the Church of St Ethelbert, Hall Road, Thurton, Norfolk, NR14 6AG
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Norfolk
- District:
- South Norfolk (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Thurton
- National Grid Reference:
- TG3283600637
Summary
First World War memorial, with later addition for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Thurton 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 the local community, and the sacrifices it made in the First World War.
Architectural interest:
* it is a well-detailed war memorial in the form of a wheel-head cross.
Group value:
* it has group value with the Church of St Ethelbert (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 Thurton, within the churchyard, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by three members of the local community who lost their lives during the First World War. It is not known exactly when the memorial was erected. Following the Second World War a dedicatory inscription and the names of the three parishioners who died in this conflict were added.
Details
First World War memorial, with later addition for the Second World War.
DESCRIPTION
The war memorial stands close to the entrance to the churchyard of the Church of St Ethelbert (Grade I). It comprises a stone wheel-head cross, with IHS carved at its centre and strapwork carvings to the cross and shaft, a shouldered and chamfered plinth and a single-stepped base. The front (south) face of the plinth is inscribed in painted lettering:
TO THE MEMORY OF/ (NAMES)/ OF THIS PARISH/ WHO DIED ON MILITARY SERVICE DURING/ THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1919/ AND OF THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND DIED/ 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES)/ FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.
Sources
Websites
Thurton War Memorial, accessed 14 August 2019 from http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/Thurton.html
The war memorial and church at Thurton, accessed 14 August 2019 from https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4417955
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 16-Dec-2025 at 05:42:08.
Download a full scale map (PDF)© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2025. OS AC0000815036. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900.© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2025. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.
End of official list entry