Second World War memorial and associated pavilion shelters, Ilkley Memorial Gardens

Second World War Memorial and Associated Pavilion Shelters, Ilkley Memorial Gardens

This Second World War memorial, built around 1953, and two pavilion shelters, built in 1950, were designed as a unified group, possibly by Sir Edward Maufe. They are constructed in Portland stone and sandstone and form part of the Ilkley Memorial Gardens, situated at the west end of The Grove, the town's principal shopping street.

The memorial gardens occupy an irregularly hexagonal site, narrowest at its east end and again at its west end where it borders a stream. A separately listed Grade II First World War memorial stands at the centre of the garden at the terminus of a tree-lined processional path running east-west from the main gated entrance. Secondary gated entrances are positioned on the north and south roadsides. The Second World War memorial occupies the same axis as the earlier memorial, positioned towards the west end of the garden, with the two pavilion shelters flanking it on either side. The three structures are arranged around an arcing path.

The Second World War memorial is constructed of Portland stone in the form of a classical triumphal arch-style shrine with a flat roof. It stands upon a large irregular hexagonal plinth and features a tripartite east front. The centre bay is taller and projects forward, with a tall round-arched opening serving as the shrine's main entrance. This entrance is fitted with prominent keystone detailing and decorative wrought-iron gates that rise just above halfway height. The two flanking bays are narrower and contain tall round-arched unglazed window openings in matching style, with wrought-iron railings and gates rising to the same height as the entrance gates. The side returns of these flanking bays each incorporate two further arches (one being a doorway on each side), with matching railings and gates. The rear wall features two tall slender square-headed windows containing leaded and stained glass. Low Portland-stone walls project from the rear wall on the north and south sides, each turning 90 degrees to run east to the plinth corner.

The shrine interior is entirely finished in Portland stone. At the centre of the rear wall is a near full-height inscribed tablet reading: "TO THE GALLANT / MEN OF ILKLEY / WHO FELL IN THE / 1939- WORLD WAR / THIS MEMORIAL / IS DEDICATED / LET THOSE WHO COME AFTER SEE / THAT THEIR NAMES BE NOT FORGOTTEN." Below this inscription are the 69 names, ranks and regiments of those killed. At the foot of the tablet is a later inscription reading "OTHER CONFLICTS" with the name, rank and regiment of a soldier killed in Cyprus in 1956. The tablet is flanked by the two square-headed leaded and stained-glass windows, which display the badges of the Army, Royal Navy, Merchant Navy and Royal Air Force alongside images of a cross and the white rose of Yorkshire. Two full-height decorative wrought-iron rails are fixed to the wall on each outer bay of the rear wall for attaching memorial wreaths. Two deep full-width steps and narrower stepped ledges at the corners in front of the rear wall serve to display memorial crosses.

The two pavilion shelters flanking the memorial are identically styled, constructed of sandstone bricks with hipped tiled roofs. They face towards the First World War memorial, positioned on the edge of paths radiating from it. Each shelter comprises four bays on the front and rear elevations and two bays on each end elevation. The front elevations each have four square-headed door openings containing multi-paned steel-framed doors. The end elevations and rear elevations are lit by multi-paned steel-framed windows. Internally, the shelters have concrete floors, pebbledash walls, pine-clad ceilings, and unfixed benches.