War Memorial, Victoria Park

War Memorial, Victoria Park

A First and Second World Wars memorial dating to 1921, designed by Harold E Davies with sculpture by Herbert Tyson Smith. The memorial is constructed in Portland stone and York stone, standing approximately 50 feet high.

The structure consists of a stepped square platform with angled corners, above which rises a large square York stone plinth, also with angled corners set forward like buttresses. The sides of the plinth are set with 30 large bronze tablets bearing the names of First World War fallen. Painted carvings of laurel wreaths decorate each angled corner.

Smaller rectangular bronze tablets at the top of the plinth bear the names of Second World War fallen. The front (south) face displays an inscription reading 'IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF WIDNES WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/1939 - 1945/UNVEILED BY ALDERMAN T SWALE MAYOR 12TH APRIL 1950'. A wide inset panel to the centre of the First World War names bears the inscription 'ERECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF THE BOROUGH OF WIDNES/IN COMMEMORATION OF THE/MEN OF THIS PLACE WHO MADE/THE SUPREME SACRIFICE IN/THE GREAT WAR OF 1914 - 1919/THIS FOUNDATION STONE WAS/LAID 28TH AUGUST 1920 BY ALDERMAN EDWIN WOOD - MAYOR'. The remaining faces of the plinth bear the inscriptions '1914 - 1919' above lower plaques and '1939 - 1945' above upper plaques.

A tall obelisk-like column of Portland stone with a colonnaded base rises from the plinth. The south face of the column base features a carved bas-relief depicting the Borough coat of arms and motto 'INDUSTRIA DITAT', surrounded by richly carved stonework which is replicated on each face of the base. Beneath the relief is the inscription 'THIS MEMORIAL WAS UNVEILED/ SEPTEMBER 28TH 1921 BY THE/RIGHT HON THE EARL OF DERBY KG'.

The west face of the column bears the inscription 'TO OUR/GLORIOUS/DEAD/1914 - 1919/1939 - 1945'. The north face displays 'THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE' with a carved foliage design beneath. The east face carries the inscription 'THE BLOOD/OF HEROES/IS THE SEED/OF FREEDOM'. Large carved crosses are set in relief to each face of the upper part of the column, with those to the north and south faces displaying carved palm branches beneath, while those to the east and west faces display carved laurel wreaths. A flaming urn surmounts the top of the column.

The memorial was unveiled on 28 September 1921 following a civic procession from Widnes Town Hall led by the Mayor and the 17th Earl of Derby, K.G. Several designs had been submitted for the commission, with Davies' design being finally selected. The memorial cost £6000 and was funded by public subscription. Herbert Tyson Smith carried out the sculptural work, and Messrs Stewart Jones were the builders. An additional £4000 raised through public subscription was used to establish a social fund for the poor of Widnes. Documents and periodicals were built into the foundations of the memorial as a time capsule.

Second World War commemoration plaques bearing the names of 289 local men killed in that conflict were added in 1950, unveiled in a ceremony led by the Mayor. A small number of bronze name plaques were stolen in the late 1970s and early 1980s but were later recovered and reinstated, although some were damaged and had to be replaced. It is unknown which plaques are modern replacements.