Denton War Memorial, Victoria Park, Victoria Street, Denton

War memorial commemorating the First World War, with additions for conflicts following 1945. 1921 to designs by James J Hirst and Arnold Radcliffe. White granite.

PLAN: Rectangular, tapering obelisk of large blocks on a deep, cruciform pedestal set on a flight of four cruciform steps standing on a shallow, rectangular base.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial is set in Victoria Park near to a C19 bandstand (Grade II). The tall, tapering obelisk is formed of large stone blocks with stepped blocks towards the top with a diamond-shaped cap and a deep chamfered plinth at the base. The front elevation of the obelisk has a projecting rectangular panel topped by a tapering, engaged column which rises part-way up the obelisk. The panel is inscribed IN GRATEFUL / AND / UNDYING / REMEMBRANCE OF / THOSE WHO GAVE / THEIR LIVES IN / THE GREAT WAR / 1914-1918 / THIS MEMORIAL HAS / BEEN ERECTED BY / THEIR FELLOW / TOWNSMEN / JULY 1921. The rear elevation of the obelisk has a similar tapering, engaged column set on a double-stepped plinth. The obelisk stands on a deep, cruciform pedestal with a moulded cornice and deep, cyma reversa moulded plinth. The central face of the pedestal on the front elevation has a panel inscribed with the names of the men lost arranged in alphabetical order. The recessed outer faces each have a square panel relief-carved with a wreath; the left-hand wreath encompasses the date 1914 and the right-hand wreath encompasses the date 1918. Set against the plinth beneath the central panel is a small rectangular, granite tablet inscribed IN PROUD MEMORY OF / THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THIS TOWN / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AT / THE CALL OF THEIR COUNTRY / IN THE YEARS SINCE 1945 / WE WILL REMEMBER THEM. The right-hand and left-hand side elevations of the pedestal each have a panel inscribed with names. The rear elevation has panels of inscribed names on the central face of the pedestal and on both the recessed outer faces. The pedestal is raised on a flight of four cruciform steps standing on a shallow, rectangular base.

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, 30 January 2017.