Great Altcar War Memorial

MATERIALS: sandstone.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises a c 3.6m high wheel-head cross. It is decorated with a carved fleur de lis cross in relief intertwined with the ‘IHS’ Christogram at the centre point of the cross. Decorative ropework edging is carved around the wheel.

The cross is set upon an oblong tapering shaft on an oblong tapered plinth with a projecting cornice. The southern and northern faces of the plinth feature a wreath carved in relief.

The inscription is carved on indented panels on the southern face of the plinth and reads: THIS CROSS WAS ERECTED BY THE / PEOPLE OF ALTCAR TO THE HONOUR / OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO / FOUGHT FOR GOD & KING, FREEDOM, / RIGHT & PEACE. AND IN GRATEFUL / MEMORY OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR / LIVES FOR US IN THE GREAT WAR, / 1914-1918, AND WHOSE NAMES ARE / HEREON INSCRIBED.

The eastern face of the plinth is inscribed with the names of those who fell in the First World War and the western face with the names of those who fell in the Second World War.

The plinth stands on a base of two steps which also bears an inscription on the eastern face, under the First World War names on the plinth, which reads : "SEE YE TO IT THAT THESE MEN / SHALL NOT HAVE FOUGHT IN VAIN".

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, 2 February 2017.