Penistone War Memorial

The Penistone War Memorial, designed by John Alfred Gotch, was built around 1924 to honor those who served in the First World War, with additions for the Second World War. Constructed from Bolton Wood sandstone and slate panels, the memorial is integrated into the western churchyard wall of the Church of St John.

The memorial features a Latin cross-head atop a square, tapering, and chamfered sandstone shaft that stands 6 meters high. This shaft rises from an upper moulded square plinth, which has raised lettering on the front face that reads: "IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THOSE FROM THIS TOWNSHIP WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1919." The left side of the plinth commemorates the Second World War with the dates "1939 – 1945."

The upper plinth is supported by a lower square plinth with angled wings and moulded capping, decorated on the western end with a guilloche motif and flowers. The memorial includes slate panels with black inscriptions listing the names of the fallen: three plaques on the front face honor 57 servicemen from the First World War, while two plaques on the angled wings commemorate 25 servicemen from the Second World War. The entire structure rests on a semi-circular and half-hexagonal three-stepped base, which is enclosed to the south by a curving stone wall that features half coping and coursed stone, ending in square piers with rectangular panels and square apex caps.