War Memorial

The war memorial, built in 1924, was designed by Charles Clayton Thompson with sculpture by Arthur G Walker. It features an engraved inscription that reads: "THE GREAT WAR/1914-1918/FOR FAITH/AND HOME/AND RIGHTEOUSNESS/WORLD WAR 1939-1945."

Constructed from stone, the memorial has a base and plinth adorned with ornamental bronzes. Notable elements include a sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus facing south and a bronze sword of justice on the north side. The memorial stands on a two-stepped base, which was added around 1993, and is surmounted by a plinth.

Located prominently in the city center, the memorial was unveiled on 11th November 1924 and dedicated by the Bishop of Southwell. An inscription to commemorate those who fell in World War II was added later. In 1993, the memorial was dismantled, cleaned, and re-erected 10 meters to the northeast of its original position as part of the Market Place townscape scheme, and it was re-dedicated by the Bishop of Derby.

This memorial serves as an important reminder of significant national and international events that had a tragic impact on local communities. The war memorial in Derby is a distinguished example of a simple yet impactful memorial, featuring fine sculpture and situated in a prominent location, making it a significant historical and architectural tribute to the Derby men who died in the First and Second World Wars.