War Memorial, Trinity Street

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SJ 99 NE 1033/4/175

STALYBRIDGE TRINITY STREET (west and east side) War Memorial

G.V.

II*

The Trinity Street war memorial was sculpted by Ferdinand V. Blundstone (1882-1951), a native of nearby Whaley Bridge, who designed and sculpted memorials and public works internationally including in London, Canada and New Zealand and exhibited at the Royal Academy. The tablets bear the names of 628 men from the town who lost their lives in conflict during the First World War. 24,000 people attended the inauguration on 6 November 1921, a significant proportion of the population of the town at that time. The west side of the memorial was later extended to commemorate those who died in conflict during the Second World War, the new tablet being linked to the earlier old one with bronze railings. It was unveiled on 23rd April 1950, in front of a crowd of 3,000 to 4,000 people, by Gertrude Monday of Mottram Road, who had lost her husband in the 1914-1918 conflict and her son in the 1939-1945 war. The Mayor of Stalybridge, Alderman L. Harris laid the first wreath, followed by Lord Leverhulme, the lord lieutenant of Cheshire.

The memorial comprises a bronze statuary group on ashlar plinths. The walls are segmental in plan and terminate on either side of Trinity Street in piers with statues. There are square piers with swept abutments and crests of arms. Moulded bases carry winged angelic figures supporting dying, battle-clad figures; to the west a soldier and the east a sailor. The segmental walls carry polished granite plaques bearing rolls of honour and are terminated in carved stone lions on square piers.

Listing NGR: SJ9634198552