Bacup War Memorial

First World War memorial, 1928, with an additional inscription commemorating the Fallen of the Second World War.

MATERIALS: ashlar sandstone.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands in a memorial garden opposite the Church of St John the Evangelist (Grade II). It takes the form of a cenotaph standing on a stone dais with two receding circular steps around a surface laid in rounded stones. It stands approximately 5.5m high and is rectangular in plan. The cenotaph consists of a tall rectangular shaft with canted surfaces, rising from a pedestal that has shouldered and moulded upper surfaces, and a slightly projecting plinth that stands on a rectangular ashlar base. The front (north-west) and rear (south-east) of the shaft, each has a slightly raised panel with an indented lower edge, beneath a plain frieze, with raised carved numerals reading 1914 – 1918. The front panel reads TO OUR / GLORIOUS / DEAD / TELL YE / YOUR / CHILDREN. The rear panel reads IN HONOURED / MEMORY / OF THE MEN OF / BACUP / WHO FELL IN THE / GREAT WAR / THEY DIED THAT WE / MIGHT LIVE IN PEACE. The north-east recessed end panel is un-adorned, and the south-west panel is inscribed 1939 / IN / HONOURED / MEMORY / OF THOSE / WHO FELL/ IN THE / WORLD WAR / 1945.

The upper section of the shaft takes the form of a narrower pedestal, with a plain plinth and a roll moulded abacus. The front and rear faces of the upper section each have the Bacup town crest carved in relief, set within a laurel wreath, whose ribbon ends are recessed into the plinth. The ends each have projecting panels with a bound bay leaf garland and a draped margent. A chest tomb, with a moulded cover and recessed corners, stands on top of the upper pedestal on a two-staged base. The ends of the lower stage have carved square block corners with recessed round shields, separated by stylised fasces, and the front and rear faces have a central square block, with a carved stag (representing peace and harmony) in relief, set between a pair of fasces.