Summary

A First World War memorial, unveiled in 1928, to the designs of Staffordshire architectural practice, Wood and Goldstraw. It was altered following the Second World War in order to add additional names.

Description

A First World War memorial, unveiled in 1928, altered following the Second World War.

MATERIALS: constructed of Hollington sandstone with bronze cap and plaques.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in the centre of Tunstall Memorial Gardens and takes the form of a sandstone obelisk with a bronze pyramidal cap standing on a two-stepped base. The dedications sit on opposing elevations on the centre of the plinth atop the pedestal. The north and south faces hold the following inscription on the plaques: TO/ THE GLORIOUS MEMORY/ OF/ THE MEN OF TUNSTALL/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ DURING THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1918.

The east and west elevations are each decorated with a decorative bronze wreath enclosing the dates: 1939 – 1945.

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 Tunstall, in a memorial garden, 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 designed by Staffordshire architects, Wood and Goldstraw and was unveiled on the 14 March 1928 by Colonel Harry Clive, OBE, TD, Commanding 137th (Staffordshire) Infantry Brigade. The unveiling ceremony took place in the Tunstall Memorial Gardens at 3:15pm. The memorial was later altered to recognise the casualties of the Second World War. The memorial was repointed and cleaned in 2013 and cleaned again in 2023.

Reasons for Listing

Tunstall War Memorial, unveiled in 1928 to the designs of Wood and Goldstraw, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as a well-executed memorial taking the form of a bronze-capped obelisk carved from sandstone.

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (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]
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings