War Memorial
The Memorial
The History of those Listed
Centenary of the Dedication
The war memorial was successfully listed in 2017 and the following text is taken from the listing report prepared by Historic England:
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"The war memorial in Saxlingham Nethergate is a modest but well-executed structure, which acts as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices of the local community during the First World War. Unusually, the memorial commemorates the lives of 16 local men who fell during the First World War, as well as 81 local men who served in and survived the war. In addition to this special historic interest, the memorial possesses Historic England Advice Report 08 November 2017 Page 2 of 6 special architectural interest for its design by Scottish architect F W Troup, who is best known for his Arts and Crafts style residential, commercial and civic commissions (a number of which are listed at Grade II). The memorial stands in a prominent location on a triangular green at the junction of The Street, Pitt’s Hill and Church Hill, and is surrounded by a number of Grade-II listed buildings, including a K6 telephone kiosk, an old schoolhouse, and houses. Overall, it is considered that the memorial possesses special architectural and historical interest and meets the criteria for listing.
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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 Saxlingham Nethergate as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who fought and lost their lives in the First World War.
The war memorial at Saxlingham Nethergate was designed by Francis William Troup FRIBA (1859-1941), a Scottish architect, best known for his Arts and Crafts style residential, commercial and civic commissions (a number of which are listed at Grade II). Troup provided his services as a gift to the local community, and construction of the memorial was carried out by local workmen. The form of the monument was suggested by Mrs Campbell Steward of the Old Hall, and based on the Butter Cross at Castle Combe, about 15 miles from Bath, where a market cross is covered by a pyramidal roof and supported on stone piers (listed at Grade II). The tiles for the Saxlingham Nethergate memorial were reclaimed from a house in the village, and the bricks were provided by the local brickyard. It is reported that the memorial won the Royal Academy Award for the best rural village memorial erected in England in 1921.
The war memorial was unveiled in a ceremony by Mrs Campbell Steward on 5 June 1921, and dedicated by the Bishop of Norwich. Unusually, the Saxlingham Nethergate memorial commemorates the lives of 16 local men who fell during the First World War, as well as 81 local men who served in and survived the war. A number of local men served during the Second World War, however no lives were lost, and no names were added to the war memorial.
Details
War memorial, designed by F W Troup, unveiled in 1921, dedicated to the fallen and survivors of the First World War.
The war memorial comprises a square-plan roofed structure incorporating a central market cross, over a tapered stone plinth, red brick base and raised platform. The pyramidal roof has a pin-tile roof covering over an oak frame, and is supported by red brick corner piers. The names of 16 local men who fell during the First World War are displayed on a bronze plaque inlaid on the central stone plinth. The north-east and south-east corner piers bear stone slabs on their outer faces, inscribed with the names of 81 local men who served in and survived the First World War. The east and west elevations of the platform each bear three segmental red brick steps (replaced about 1990). The memorial is prominently located on a triangular green at the junction of The Street, Pitt’s Hill and Church Hill."
Work has been undertaken to research the history of the war memorials of the village and the people mentioned on them. The findings have been published and can be found at Saxlingham War Memorials.
On 5 June 2021 a short service was held at the memorial to mark the centenary of the original unveiling and dedication on Sunday 5 June 1921. The following was read out during the ceremony:
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Introduction
Frederick Baker was one of the young men from the Village who died in battle in the First World War. He was the sixth of ten children, and four of his brothers also went away to the war. The family lived in Browns Lane here in Saxlingham, and Frederick attended the Village School. He died in action at the age of 22. His body was never found.
There is a Saxlingham legend about Frederick – “legend” because it is a story handed down over the years which we don’t know how far to be true. But it is said that Frederick worked at the local brickyard and helped make some of the bricks used in the building of this Memorial. And moreover, that his initials were discovered scratched into one of the bricks which was removed when these steps were renovated in the 1990’s. Whatever the truth of the story may be, it is a poignant reminder that this building is not only a memorial to those sixteen who died and to their survivors, but also a tribute to the pride, skills and determination of the local people who built it.
Construction of the Building
After the end of the War, a local committee was set up to organise the raising of funds for the construction of the building. Some of the names of those involved resonate with us today – English, Emms, Charlish, Funnell, Yallop, Steward. And it was Mrs. Campbell Steward, the widow of a major landowner in Saxlingham at the time, who proposed that the design of this War Memorial should be based on the Market Cross at Castle Combe in Wiltshire.
But there was no national funding available for local or civic memorials, and it soon became apparent that not enough money could be raised to accept the tenders which had been put in to build it. Undaunted, the villagers decided to do the work themselves. Local oak trees were felled for the roof timbers, and were cut up in the village saw pit. Old tiles from a house nearby which was being reconstructed were acquired. The bricks were given by the owner of the Saxlingham brickyard. The cost of the stone and bronze plaques which listed the names of those who died and those who survived was provided by members of the Committee itself. Mr. Troup, the architect, gave his services for free. This Memorial, the result of all these endeavours, won the Royal Academy Award for the best rural village memorial erected in England in 1921. It is now a Grade 2 listed building on the National Heritage List for England.
Dedication and Unveiling
One hundred years ago to this very day, in the afternoon of Sunday the 5th of June 1921, the Memorial was dedicated by the Bishop of Norwich. It was a sunny, early summer’s day. The Eastern Daily Press of the following day related the events of that afternoon. The service of dedication took place in St. Mary’s, our local parish church. From the tower a flag was flying, and the church bells were rung. During the singing of the last hymn “Through the night of doubt and sorrow”, the congregation moved out into the sunshine and processed down Church Hill to where we are now standing. Further hymns were sung, and prayers were said. Mrs. Campbell Steward then drew away a flag which covered the bronze plaque listing the names of the dead. The Parish priest, the Reverend Pitt read out their names. The Bishop gave an address and then pronounced the dedication. The ceremony ended with the Last Post and Reveille. Relatives of those who died then came forward one by one and laid flowers at the foot of the Memorial.
After the service, Mrs. Campbell Steward provided afternoon tea from trestle tables in the gardens of the Old Hall for over a hundred of the villagers who had been involved with the project.
History of the Project
In the late 1990’s, Janet Capon, a teacher at Saxlingham Primary School, was asked by her head teacher to do a project with the children about the War Memorial. Janet soon realised that this was something that called for a much greater depth of research than the children could manage. And so, together with Jan Fox, they embarked upon a huge amount of research of libraries, census records, press copies, old photographs, and as time went by visiting every grave and memorial which could be identified as belonging to the men – travelling to France, Belgium, Greece - and even further afield to Canada.
After Janet’s death in 2008, Jan has continued with this heroic project herself. There is now information recorded online not only about the sixteen who died but no less than 101 men with connections to Saxlingham who survived. Some did not return here, but many did - and some of their descendants are still in the Village today. Although the main body of research is now completed, it remains an ongoing project, and Jan would welcome any further information or photographs that can be added to the website.
Commemoration
To commemorate the Centenary, as we are doing today, means to honour and to keep alive the memory.
It is not only a matter of nostalgia and enjoying the memory of a lovely Saxlingham day in the summer of 1921.
It is also to recall, and to bring back into the present, what has gone before and those no longer with us.
Perhaps the story of Frederick Baker’s brick will help us to do these things.
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