War Memorial

The war memorial stands back from Stopes Brow, adjacent to St James's Church and at the entrance to the churchyard. It is an undated and unaccredited monument constructed from white granite with copper decorations, a copper statue, bronze inscriptions, and a granite kerb topped by cast iron railings. The memorial consists of a tapered pedestal set on a low granite plinth, surmounted by a statue of a soldier with his head bowed and hands resting on the butt of a rifle. A copper ribbon, buckle, and wreath decorate the south façade of the pedestal; the ribbon is the only one of these features to have survived. Cast bronze inscriptions adorn all four faces of the pedestal, although some letters are missing and have been painted black. The south face bears the inscription “TO THE / GLORY OF GOD / AND IN / HALLOWED MEMORY / OF THE SEVENTY ONE MEN / FROM THE PARISH OF / ST JAMES LOWER DARWEN / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE / GREAT WAR / GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN / ALSO IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR / 1939-1945”, with the names of 11 Second World War casualties listed below. The west, north, and east faces contain the names of 24, 23, and 24 First World War casualties respectively. A granite base encircled by a low kerb, topped with cast iron railings and some original pine cones, sits at the foot of the memorial. The memorial is significant for its quality of design and historic importance as a memorial to those who died in both World Wars.