Kessingland War Memorial

The granite memorial stands in the churchyard, c70m to the south of the Church of St Edmund (Grade I-listed). Approximately 4.5m tall, it is raised on a slight mound, and approached by a path from the south wall of the church. The mound is edged with stones and metal hoops. The complex memorial structure comprises a botonné cross surmounting a substantial colonnaded base.

The cross, ornamented on the front faces of the cross arms with flowers carved in low relief, and the IHS monogram at the centre, has a heavily moulded foot. The foot transitions to the supporting pylon via short corner scrolls, joined by swags carved in relief, and a shallow two-stepped base.

The pylon is in two stages. The upper stage is formed of a large block with a capped cornice, ornamented with egg-and-dart and with beribboned swags carved to the front and rear frieze. The lower stage, approximately twice the depth of the upper, comprises the central block of the memorial. Suggestive of a sarcophagus, it is flanked by consoles to either side, with a deep moulded foot. This stage bears the inscriptions.

The east and west sides of the pylon are flanked by colonnades formed of three Ionic columns supporting semi-circular stonework presenting a moulded architrave, including a course of dentils. The central pylon and its two colonnades stand on a chamfered plinth and single-stepped base, rectangular on plan.

The front face of the pylon’s lower stage carries the commemorated First World War names, in applied metal lettering. The dates 1914 1918 are recorded below on the chamfered plinth. The Second World War names are listed in similar fashion on the rear face, with the dates 1939 1945 on the plinth. The front face of the base bears the inscription "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS".