Kirkby War Memorial

703/0/10004 OLD HALL LANE 24-JUL-07 KIRKBY WAR MEMORIAL

II First and Second World War memorial, c.1920.

MATERIALS: Red sandstone.

DESCRIPTION: Wide stepped octagonal plinth. Square 2-stepped base with inscriptions to each face. Front S face of upper part of base reads '1914 - 1919'. Lower part reads 'TO THE HONOUR OF THE MEN OF/ THIS PARISH WHO WENT FORTH IN/ THESE YEARS OF WAR TO FIGHT FOR GOD/ & KING FOR JUSTICE & FREEDOM/ & IN THANKFUL REMEMBRANCE OF/ THOSE WHO RETURNED NOT AGAIN'. E and W faces of lower part of base bear inscribed names of those killed during WWI (15 names to each). Rear N face of upper part of base reads '1939 - 1945'. Inscribed below on lower base are names of those killed during WWII (9 names). Column with inset panels to sides incorporating ball flower ornamentation (some of which has been replaced following damage in 1990). The column is surmounted by cross with carved foliage decoration, incorporating a central circular relief depicting head of Jesus Christ to front, Christ's monogram 'Chi Rho' to reverse.

HISTORY: The war memorial in the churchyard of St Chad's Church was funded by public subscription and was erected immediately after the end of WWI to commemorate the men of the parish who lost their lives. A further inscription was added c.1945/46 to commemorate the men of the parish who lost their lives during WWII. On Halloween 1990 the war memorial suffered extensive damage following vandalism. This resulted in the column and cross being pulled over and becoming detached from the base. The detached pieces of the memorial were kept in storage until November 2006 when the war memorial was finally restored following the receipt of funding from the War Memorials Trust. A re-dedication ceremony is proposed by the Armed Forces to be held in July 2007.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: Intricately carved cross war memorial dating to c.1920 (and restored in 2006) commemorating the men of Kirkby who lost their lives during the Great Wars (the names of those killed during WWII were added later) and erected with money raised by public subscription. The decorative cross finial surmounting the memorial incorporates foliage decoration and religious symbolism in the form of a carved depiction of the head of Jesus Christ with Christ's monogram (Chi Rho) on the reverse. With this unusual and striking design the war memorial is a notable and prominent feature within the churchyard of St Chad's Church and the wider community of Kirkby, and is of both special architectural and special historic interest in a national context.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 27 January 2017.