Rishton War Memorial

A First World War memorial of 1923, with 1949 alterations and later additional names, by Briggs and Thornely and carved by masons William Kirkpatrick.

MATERIALS: Creetown granite, sandstone steps, iron bollards and rails.

DESCRIPTION: standing in a triangular memorial garden at a road junction.

The memorial comprises a pylon on a tall plinth (6.7m high in total) with a two-stepped base, approached by steps. The pylon is triangular in plan with chamfered corners, a pyramidal top and flared foot. The corners are surmounted by antefixae decorated with anthemion, and a frieze runs below these, between deep channels. Each main face has a raised tablet with a garlanded laurel wreath in high relief, with a regnal crown in relief above the tablet. The front (north) tablet is inscribed: PRO/ PATRIA/ 1914 – 1919.

The plinth is triangular with square corner pillars similar in design to the pylon, with pyramidal tops, anthemion antefixae and a ribbed frieze which continues all around. The names are inscribed in five columns of twelve per face, ordered alphabetically by surname and initial. Where the surname and initial are the same, the second instance is identified by having the place or street name of his residence added. Additional names are found on the face of the west corner (2) and south corner (4). The base is also triangular with cut-off corners, forming an irregular hexagon. The upper step of each face has a decorative low metal rail.

Across the north face of the mound on which the cenotaph stands is a flight of six sandstone steps which return along part of the south-west and north-east faces and terminate in stringers. In the centre of the north face the steps are broken by a granite tablet on a sloping sandstone bed, the tablet being inscribed with the 23 names of the Fallen of the Second World War, and also KOREA and one further name. Above this at the head of the steps is a vertical headstone with shaped top, inscribed 1939 – 1945.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the memorial garden is surrounded by original decorative metal bollards linked by chains.