Summary
First World War memorial of 1924, with later additions for the Second World War.
Description
First World War memorial of 1924, with later addition for the Second World War.
DESCRIPTION
The memorial stands within a square enclosure cut into the slope on the edge of St John’s churchyard. It is carved from Hollington stone and takes the form of an obelisk and a tapered, square pedestal which rises from a moulded base and stands upon a base of four steps and a concrete platform. Above the pedestal is a deep, projecting cornice with egg and dart moulding below, and rising from this is a squat, tapered shaft with relief carvings of a laurel wreath and two rosettes on each face and a pyramidal cap. The south-west face of the shaft also has an inscription in black lettering which reads: 1914–1918/ FOR OUR/ GLORIOUS DEAD. The cornice below is inscribed: 1939-1945 and a panel on the pedestal reads: FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH/ (NAMES). The side returns record the names of the fallen from the First World War and the cornices are inscribed: 1914-1918. The rear face of the pedestal is inscribed: THEY DIED THAT/ WE MIGHT LIVE; the cornice is inscribed: 1914-1918.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES
The war memorial is surrounded by stone balustrade posts, one inscribed with the stonemasons’ surname, linked by chains.
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, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Alsagers Bank as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 48 men from Alsagers Bank, Halmerend, Miles Green, Apedale and Scot Hay who died in the conflict. A public meeting was held in December 1921 to ‘consider the proposal of the Executive Committee with respect to a war memorial for the Halmerend ward’. The memorial, which is also known as Halmerend War Memorial, was designed and made by WH Royals of Burslem; the cost met from public subscription. It was unveiled by Captain Edwards-Heathcote of nearby Apedale Hall on 20 September 1924.
The names of those who lost lives during the Second World War, including a female civilian who died during a bombing raid on the Rolls-Royce Works in Crewe in 1940, were subsequently added to the memorial.
The memorial was repaired with a grant from War Memorials Trust in 2016.
Reasons for Listing
Alsagers Bank War Memorial of 1924 is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* as a thoughtfully-designed war memorial in the form of an obelisk.
External Links
External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.
Recommended Books
London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
[(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)