Scout War Memorial Gateway

646-1/0/10052 HUCKNALL ROAD 07-MAY-08 Scout War Memorial Gateway

II War memorial erected in 1927

MATERIALS: Timber, brick and handmade tiles

DESCRIPTION: The gateway is made up of a central, gabled entranceway with flanking walls. The central entranceway is timber framed on brick plinths and with red brick nogging laid in a herringbone pattern between the studding. It has a steeply pitched roof, covered with handmade tiles, with timber fascia boards on both elevations. It has a pair of half panelled timber gates with spindles to upper openings. The stepped, flanking walls are of red brick and have panels of herringbone brickwork and tiled copings. Above the gates attached to the timber lintel, is a plaque which reads 'SCOUTS OF THIS PLACE LET THIS OF YOU BE SAID. THAT YOU WHO LIVE ARE WORTHY OF YOUR DEAD. THESE GAVE THEIR LIVES THAT YOU WHO LIVE MAY REAP. A RICHER HARVEST ERE YOU FALL ASLEEP'. Above, in the gable, is a square plaque which reads '24 NOTTM CAVENDISH SCOUT GROUP'.

The gateway marks the entrance to a Scout site comprisng a walled wood with a Scout hut linked to the gateway by a World War II memorial avenue of trees. A plaque in the hut reads 'THE AVENUE OF TREES PLANTED IN THANKSGIVING FOR VICTORY AND PEACE AND IN MEMORY OF SCOUTS WHO DIED IN THE WAR OF 1939-1945 WAS DEDICATED BY THE LORD BISHOP OF SOUTHWELL AND THIS TABLET UNVEILED IN THEIR HONOUR BY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER LT. COL. N.G. PEARSON D.S.O ON SUNDAY MAY 12TH 1946'.

HISTORY: The gateway was built in memory of those Scouts who died in the First World War. The designer is not known but it is thought that it was a member of the Scout Association. It was constructed by the Nottingham City District Rover Scouts in 1927, and is said to incorporate timbers from Trent Bridge which was widened the previous year to accommodate increased traffic. It was dedicated on 21 August 1927 by the Chief Rover Scout Commissioner for England, Percy B Nevill, and also present were the Duchess of Newcastle and the President of the Nottingham Boy Scout Association, John C Boot (Chairman of Boots and grandson of the company's founder, Jesse Boot).

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION: This First World War Memorial gateway is designated at Grade II, for the following principal reasons: * It is a poignant reminder of the impact of tragic world events on both the local community and the Scout movemnet; * It is testimony to the historic interest of Scouting as a C20 popular movement; * It has some good design features, for example the steeply sloping roof and the use of brick nogging; * It has group value as part of a very unusual Scout site comprisng a walled wood with a hut linked to the gateway by a World War II memorial avenue of trees. SK5655043407

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, 27 July 2017.