Holme, Holmfirth and Newmill Memorial Cross

Holme, Holmfirth and Newmill Memorial Cross stands on a raised platform in front of Holme Valley Memorial Hospital, in the hospital gardens. It forms the focus of the approach to the hospital from the main road to the south-east. The garden path ends in stone steps rising to the memorial, through a break in the curved stone retaining wall of the platform. Paths either side of the platform meet the rear wall, also providing access.

The tall memorial cross, in granite, consists of a budded Latin cross set on an octagonal shaft with a moulded foot. Draped over the arms of the cross is a carved stone wreath, and a reversed sword is carved in relief on the front face of the cross. The shaft rises from a stepped, octagonal, plinth. An inscription on the front face of the plinth reads REMEMBER. The plinth stands on a shallow, octagonal, base.

Behind the memorial cross, a retaining wall in York stone marks the rear of the platform. The wall is balustraded. Flights of stone steps at each end of the wall rise from the platform to the hospital terrace above. A central projection in the wall, surmounted by a pediment with a broken cornice, bears a granite panel on which is inscribed the principal dedication IN/ PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THESE,/ OUR SONS, WHO DIED FOR/ ENGLAND/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1919/ THE PEOPLE/ OF HOLME, HOLMFIRTH, AND/ NEWMILL/ HAVE ERECTED THIS/ MONUMENT & HOSPITAL/ A.D. 1920./ + / OH ENGLAND, SOMETIMES THINK OF THEM,/ AS ONCE THEY THOUGHT OF YOU. Above this panel and let into the pediment is a coronet carved in relief, in granite. To the left of the panel is a wreath, carved in relief and encircling 1914; to the right, a similar wreath encircles 1919. Both wreaths are also in granite.

Granite panels let into the wall record the commemorated names. The inscriptions are carved, with inlaid, black-painted, metal letters.

(first panel) HOLME VALLEY 1939 – 45/ (50 NAMES)

(second panel) HOLM AND HOLMEBRIDGE/ (51 NAMES)

(third panel) (11 NAMES)/ UNDERBANK/ 30 NAMES/ CARTWORTH/ (8 NAMES)

(fourth panel) HOLMFIRTH/ (50 NAMES)

(fifth panel) UPPERTHONG/ (25 NAMES)/ WOOLDALE/ (25 NAMES)

(sixth panel) NETHERTHONG & THONGSBRIDGE/ (30 NAMES)/ FULSTONE/ 20 NAMES)

(seventh panel) (12 NAMES)/ HEPWORTH & SCHOLES/ (22 NAMES)/ HADE EDGE/ 16 NAMES)

(eighth panel) HOLME VALLEY 1939 – 45/ (50 NAMES)

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, 5 October 2017.