Summary

First World War memorial, 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

First World War memorial, 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

MATERIALS: white marble sculpted figure and plinth on a concrete base.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located within the Remembrance Gardens at the junction of Duke Street and Lowgates. It comprises a white marble sculpture of a uniformed soldier standing in front of a tree stump holding his rifle with the stock resting on the ground. The figure rises from a tall square white marble plinth with a moulded cap. The plinth is set upon a three-stepped concrete base.

The First World War inscription reads: IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE/ OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH,/ (STAVELEY,) WHO/ FELL IN THE WAR OF 1914 – 1919/ (NAMES)/ THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR/ EVERMORE (NAMES). The Second World War dedication is inscribed: IN HONOUR AND REMEMBRANCE OF/ THE MEN OF STAVELEY URBAN DISTRICT/ 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES) / THEY DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE.

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 at Staveley as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The memorial was unveiled by Sir Josiah Court on 28 November 1920. It cost over £500, the majority being raised through public subscription, and was constructed by Messrs Borrowdale of Worksop. It commemorates 180 local servicemen who fell in the First World War, with seven names having been added at a later date. The names of 76 local servicemen who fell in the Second World War were added following this conflict.

The rifle was damaged in the 1940s and this was repaired in 2014. It appears that the form of the lettering has been changed in the past.

Reasons for Listing

Staveley War Memorial, which stands in the Remembrance Gardens at the junction of Duke Street and Lowgates, 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 local community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* as a striking and evocative design of a white marble sculpted soldier standing on a tall square plinth.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66479939

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

• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)