Bollington War Memorial

First World War memorial additions for the Second World War,1920, designer/sculptor unknown.

MATERIALS: constructed of local red and buff sandstone

PLAN: Celtic cross set on tapering, rectangular plinth atop 5 steps.

DESCRIPTION: set within its own war memorial garden at a prominent road junction. The cross is of a tall wheel-head design with Celtic tracery covering the shaft. Figures of the patron saints of the home nations are carved on the cross arms, and the cross head is adorned with a carved tiled roof. Underneath the main inscription is a stone sculpture of a laurel wreath resting on the top step. The top two steps are of the same red sandstone as the cross, the lower three of buff sandstone. Due to the softness of the red sandstone and perhaps over-vigorous cleaning in the past, the stone is becoming worn. The inscription on the main facade of the plinth reads: THEY WHOM THIS MEMORIAL / COMMEMORATES WERE NUMBERED / AMONG THOSE WHO AT THE / CALL OF KING AND COUNTRY / LEFT ALL THAT WAS DEAR TO / THEM ENDURED HARDNESS FACED / DANGER AND FINALLY PASSED OUT / OF THE SIGHT OF MEN BY THE PATH / OF DUTY AND SELF SACRIFICE GIVING / UP THEIR OWN LIVES THAT OTHERS / MIGHT LIVE IN FREEDOM LET THOSE / WHO CAME AFTER SEE TO IT THAT / THEIR NAMES BE NOT FORGOTTEN.

Above this the chamfer at the top of the plinth is inscribed ‘1914 - 1919 + 1939 – 1945’. On the other three sides of the chamfer are inscribed the names of the fallen of the Second World War, the dates of which are added to the base of the cross above, on each of these three sides. Below these names each side, above the panels containing the names of the fallen of the First Word War, is inscribed with the dates of that conflict. The top face of the second step is inscribed: THIS MEMORIAL WAS UNVEILED AND DEDICATED / ON SUNDAY NOVEMBER 28TH 1920

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 26 January 2017.