Hopton War Memorial

A war memorial erected in 1919 in the churchyard of All Saints Church, Hopton, in Suffolk.

MATERIALS: the memorial is formed of ashlar limestone, embellished with carved decoration and inscriptions.

DETAILS: the memorial stands in the churchyard of the Grade-I Church of All Saints, and sited to the south-west of the church entrance. The memorial is 2.5m high and comprises a square stone obelisk with a pyramidal top. Each face of the obelisk is surmounted by an apex with foliate decoration. A horizontal band of relief-carved circles sits between these apexes and the obelisk’s pyramidal top. The memorial is set atop a three-tiered plinth and stands upon a square base.

The main inscription is incised on the west face of the obelisk and reads: IN LOVING MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO LAID/ DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919/ (NAMES)/ GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT/ A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.

Below this, on the west face of the upper step of the plinth is the additional inscription: 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES).

The names of the fallen are grouped by regiment, and the details given include service number, rank, surname, initials and unit.