Hilgay War Memorial

Heritage listing

Details First World War memorial, unveiled around 1920, with Second World War additions. It was restored in 2021. The kerbstones, fence posts and chain link fence that form the enclosure within which the memorial stands date from 2021 and are thus excluded from the listing. Also excluded is the free-standing memorial plaque which was erected in 2009 to commemorate the aircrews who died when their aircraft crashed in Hilgay during the Second World War. MATERIALS: stone. PLAN: it is octagonal on plan. DESCRIPTION: the war memorial, which stands in a prominent position within a triangular-shaped grassed area at the junction of Church Road and High Street, takes the form of a simple Latin cross which rises from a moulded knop at the top of a tapering octagonal shaft. The shaft stands on a square plinth which in turn stands on a three-stepped octagonal base. The whole stands within an early-C21 octagonal gravelled enclosure bounded by kerb stones and fence posts, the latter supporting a contemporary chain link fence. The First Word War dedicatory inscription is carved on a modern plaque on the west side of the plinth and reads: This Cross was erected/ in honour of the men of / Hilgay who gave their / lives for their King and / Country in the Great War / 1914 - 1919.' Modern black plaques on the north, south and west sides bear the names of the men who died. The Second World War dedication is found on the memorial's base and includes the dates '1939 - 1945' carved in shallow relief on the west face of the top step while the names of the men who died are inscribed on the north-west and south-west faces of the middle step.

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.