Thornton Cleveleys War Memorial, Marsh Mill, Lancashire

Summary

First World War memorial, 1923, by Albert Toft (sculptor), and Mr W L Cookson (mason), with Second World War additions.

Description

First World War memorial, 1923, by Albert Toft (sculptor), and Mr W L Cookson (mason), with Second World War additions.

MATERIALS: a bronze figure, granite pedestal and base, Yorkstone paving and granite memorial tablets.

PLAN: a square-plan monument situated at the centre of a round lawn, with adjacent memorial tablets, approached by a path from the rear.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises an accurate life-sized bronze figure of an infantryman, his bare head bowed in respect and his hands resting on the butt of his reversed Lee-Enfield rifle; its muzzle is placed on his left foot, and to the rear of the base, lies a Brodie steel helmet and a 1917 issue 'small box' respirator that is spilling out of its case. The figure is mounted on a square granite shaft on a tapered plinth with a bull-nosed cornice moulding, raised on a two-stepped base. The north-east (front) panel of the shaft bears a dedication in lead lettering that reads: TO OUR / GLORIOUS / DEAD / 1914-1918. The names of the 84 First World War Fallen are recorded on the remaining panels of the shaft. The memorial is approached from the rear by a path laid in Yorkstone paving slabs and curbs that also form a surround to the base. The 113 Fallen of the Second World War are commemorated by three granite tablets to the front and sides of the war memorial set in the circular lawn and taking the form of open books, with the names in lead lettering.

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. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three-quarters of a million British lives, and also 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 for the communities of Thornton and Cleveleys, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 84 members of the local community, who lost their lives in the First World War.

The memorial was designed by the renowned sculptor Albert Toft and built by the mason Mr W L Cookson. It was unveiled and dedicated on 11 November 1923 at a ceremony attended by Colonel Sir Hugh Jeudwine KCB OBE, civic dignitaries and members of the local clergy. Following the Second World War, three separate granite memorials in the form of open books were placed to the front and sides of the memorial, which record the names of 113 additional Fallen from that conflict, including three women. The memorial is situated within an enclosed memorial garden that contains the circular bases of former lamp standards near the north-eastern entrances, and a granite memorial wall tablet, recording the names of the Fallen who worked for the Imperial Chemicals Industries Burn Naze (Fleetwood) works, that was re-sited here in1997.

Albert Toft (1862-1949) was one of Britain's most prominent figures in the ‘New Sculpture’ movement, the late-C19 renaissance movement in British sculpture, which rejected the stylised neo-classicism of conventional figure sculpture in favour of naturalistic, often allegorical forms. He was elected to the Art-Workers' Guild (1891) and to a fellowship of the Royal Society of British Sculptors (1938). He has 16 listed monuments in England to his name or including examples of his work; four listed at Grade II*. The majority of his work was public commemorative commissions in bronze, mostly single statues of military, civic dignitaries or royal figures, and following the First World War, he gained many commissions for figurative war memorials. The respectful pose adopted by the figure of the soldier on the Thornton Cleveleys War Memorial is identical to that used on the memorial at Stone, Staffordshire.

Reasons for Listing

Thornton Cleveleys War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest:

* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* it incorporates an accurate bronze figure of an infantryman by the noted sculptor Albert Toft, who was responsible for a number of listed sculptures and war memorials.

Architectural interest:

* a well-executed memorial employing good quality materials and craftsmanship.

External Links

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