North Head Memorial Tower, North Head Footpath, Wick, Wick, Highland

Description

Dated 1909. A 2-stage commemorative square-plan tower, with a castellated parapet and a small square turret or cap house at the southwest corner. It is built of coursed Caithness sandstone rubble which is now rendered (2017).

There are blind sandstone slab windows to all elevations. There is an arched entrance to the southwest elevation (partially blocked, 2017) with an inscription panel above: To perpetuate the patriotism of those natives of Caithness who served their country on land and sea. Many of their names, rescued from forgetfulness, are preserved for posterity in this memorial tower. "Their names are here: their deeds are in the histories of the world." 1909.

There are inscriptions commemorating various battles, such as at Camperdown, Trafalgar, and Waterloo, on the remaining elevations.

The interior was seen in 2017. There is a concrete floor at ground level and no floor structure at the first storey. A square hatch through a ceiling of stone flags gives access to the turret and roof.

Statement of Interest

Placed in a prominent coastal setting, the North Head Memorial Tower at Wick is a rare example of a war memorial built before 1914 that commemorates several people, as opposed to a single individual or a regiment. Whilst the design of the tower is simple and relatively plain, it is associated with nationally important historical events and its conception is well documented.

Age and Rarity

The North Head Memorial Tower at Wick is a visual reminder of world conflicts and the people of Caithness who fought in them. It was raised in 1909 by public subscription, and it is dedicated to Caithness men who served in military campaigns... from 1797 (Battle of Camperdown) to 1902 (Boer War). The tower was officially opened on 25 September 1909. The ceremony was presided over by the Provost Ross and the Rev J McAusland Dickie. A detailed list of 400 veterans, compiled over four years by the Rev John Horne, was placed in a casket and laid in the floor inside the tower. John Horne was the driving force behind the memorial tower project.

War Memorials are found in great numbers across Scotland. With a wide variety of memorials surviving, those which meet the criteria for listing need to be of special architectural or historic interest.

War memorials constructed before the First World War are unusual. The first outdoor war memorials were constructed predominantly after the Crimean War (after 1856). There is one known listed example in Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, listed with Balmaclellan Church (LB51352). Before the Crimean War, memorials or monuments were erected in religious buildings such as churches, and were usually dedicated to an individual or a specific regiment. The most well-known example of a Napoleonic memorial in Scotland is the National Memorial at Calton Hill in Edinburgh (see LB27820) which commemorates all the Scottish troops that died in the Napoleonic Wars.

Monuments related to the Boer War are more commonly found than those dedicated to the Crimean War, and this is a reflection of a growing civic interest in commemoration, as well as the general increase in public support for the armed forces. Nevertheless, there are few Boer War memorials in Scotland. Three listed examples are the memorial at Wilton Park in Hawick (LB51244), the memorial in Alloa (LB46269), and at the Western Necropolis in Glasgow (LB33734). In addition, there is one known listed example of a memorial dedicated to an individual who fought in the Boer War, the Wauchope Memorial in Edinburgh (LB52147).

North Head Memorial Tower is unusual because it is early in date and commemorates veterans from the Caithness region who fought in the wars leading up to the First World War. It is a rare example of a memorial in Scotland that dates to before the First World War and is not dedicated to a specific individual. Whilst the design of the tower is simple and relatively plain, there is a significant connection to historically important events and its conception is well documented.

Architectural or Historic Interest

Interior

The interior is plain, with no decoration. The ground floor has been overlaid in concrete.

Plan form

The plan form of the building is square, and this is not unusual for a memorial tower.

Technological excellence or innovation, material or design quality

The building is constructed of Caithness stone. The entrance was boarded up after the Second World War and the building was rendered with cement in the later 20th century.

The contractor who built the monument was Mr Donald Harper. Mr Smith did the plaster work and Mr Hood carved the inscriptions of the battles on the lower windows (John O'Groats Journal, 8 October 1909).

Whilst the architect or designer of the tower at North Head in Wick is unknown, the memorial tower is of a type such similar to that at Dingwall designed by James Sandford Kay in 1907 (LB24513) and at Stornoway of 1920 (LB19211).

Setting

The memorial tower is situated along the north coast of Wick Bay and faces southwest overlooking the burgh of Wick, with the North Sea to the southeast.

The 1909 setting of the tower, which was then open ground, has been altered to the north by the construction of housing in the latter half of the 20th century. However the tower retains its coastal setting and views over the bay.

Regional variations

There are no known regional variations.

The use of Caithness stone in the construction of tower is a characteristic building material common to this area of Scotland.

Close Historical Associations

The memorial is associated with nationally important events from the late 18th century to 1909. The building is dedicated to over 400 men who risked or lost their lives in conflict on land and at sea, leading up to the First World War. Unusually the memorial commemoration spans wars from three centuries. There is therefore historic interest.

External Links

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