Downham Market War Memorial

First World War memorial, 1921, with Second World War additions.

DESCRIPTION: Downham Market war memorial is located at the junction of London Road and Church Road, within a semi-circular area of landscaping. To the west of the memorial is the Grade II-listed building The Priory.

It is of Clipsham stone and takes the form of a tall, lantern cross surmounted by a crocketed pinnacle. The lantern head is elaborately carved with square columns to each corner and lancet niches to each face with cusped tracery. The niches are open to the north and south sides to reveal a Latin cross within the lantern, the east and west niches are blind with painted shields attached. The lantern crowns an octagonal shaft with a square base and inverted chamfered stops. This rises from a four-sided plinth with moulded upper corners; later stone plaques have been affixed to each face of the plinth. The plinth surmounts a three-stepped base with small square posts to each corner of the middle and lower steps.

The principal inscription is to the plaque on the south face of the plinth and reads, TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN/ GRATEFUL AND LASTING REMEMBRANCE/ OF OUR BRAVE FELLOW TOWNSMEN/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ FOR KING AND COUNTRY IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914-1918. The 74 names of those who died in the First World War are on the other three plaques affixed to the plinth.

The names of those who died in the Second World War are inscribed on a plaque affixed to the south face of the upper-step of the base, WORLD WAR 1939-1945/ (24 NAMES).

All lettering is incised, painted black.