Utkinton War Memorial

First World War memorial, 1918, with carved crucifix forming a French-style Calvary shrine, 1923, and additions for the Second World War.

Materials: Eddisbury stone podium, ashlar sandstone plinth, and teak crucifix.

The memorial stands in a prominent position at the junction of John Street and Quarry Bank; opposite the former Utkinton Primitive Methodist Chapel. The 3.2m high memorial is raised on a two-step podium of blocks of Eddisbury Stone, and comprises a teak crucifix, giving the memorial the appearance of being a French-style road-side Calvary shrine. The crucifix is set in a square sandstone plinth with chamfered upper edges. The carved figure of Christ has his head raised to the heavens, beneath the lettering I R N I (Latin: Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum - Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews), protected by a carved timber canopy. The east (main) face of the plinth is recessed and bears an inscription, which reads: "GREATER·LOVE·HATH·NO·MAN / THAN·THIS". / THEY·GAVE·THEIR·HEARTS·TO·THEIR·HOMES / THEY·GAVE·THEIR·LIVES·TO·THEIR·COUNTRY / THEY·GAVE·THEIR·SOULS·TO·GOD. Six names that are split into two columns of three, are inscribed below the dedication to either side of an intaglio carved cross, set within a cusped recess. The south side of the stone is inscribed: DEDICATED·TO·THE·MEMORY / OF·THOSE·BRAVE·MEN / OF·UTKINTON·WHO·FELL / IN·THE·GREAT·WAR. / 1914-1919 / PEACE·SIGNED·AT·VERSAILLES / JUNE·28. The west (rear) face is without inscription. The north side records two names separated by the inscription 1939-1945; the upper name recording an individual killed during the First World War after the erection of the memorial, and the lower name recording an individual killed during the Second World War.