Penistone War Memorial

First world memorial with Second World War additions, about 1924, designed by John Alfred Gotch.

MATERIALS: Bolton Wood sandstone and slate panels.

PLAN: a semi-circular and half-hexagonal projecting plan form.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial forms part of the western churchyard wall to the Church of St John. It comprises a Latin cross-head set on a square tapering, and chamfered, 6m high sandstone shaft which rises from an upper moulded square plinth with words inscribed in raised lettering: (front face) IN GRATEFUL MEMORY/OF THOSE FROM/THIS TOWNSHIP/WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/IN THE GREAT WAR/1914 – 1919 (left, north, return) 1939 – 1945. The upper plinth rests on a lower square plinth with angled wings and moulded capping, the western end faces decorated with a guilloche motif and flowers. It contains slate panels with black inscriptions naming the Fallen: three plaques on the front (west) face and one on the central panel of the right (south) return name the 57 First World War fallen servicemen and two on the angled wings of the left (north) return name 25 Second World War fallen servicemen. The plinth stands on a semi-circular and half-hexagonal and projecting three-stepped base, which is enclosed to the south by a curving half coped and coursed stone wall terminating in square piers with rectangular panels and square apex caps.