Bolehill And Steeple Grange War Memorial

The Bolehill and Steeple Grange War Memorial was built in 1925 to commemorate the First World War. Designed by Harry Hopkins and constructed by W. Gallimore and Sons, both of Wirksworth, it is a memorial shelter constructed from reinforced concrete blocks. The design is rectangular and of a classical style, taking the form of an alcove shelter with a pointed arch roof supported by flanking pilasters. The pilasters originally featured Hopton Wood stone tablets, which have since been removed. The capitals above the pilasters are decorated with moulded concrete wreaths bearing the inscriptions "1914" on the left and "1919" on the right. An inscription reads "They died that we may live" in relief across the arch. The rear wall of the shelter contains two white Italian marble tablets. The left tablet records the memorial's construction by public subscription in honour of the men of Bolehill and Steeple Grange who lost their lives in the Great War. The right tablet lists the names of the twelve men who died. A third marble tablet, inserted on the internal left wall, commemorates the two men from Bolehill and Steeple Grange who lost their lives in the Second World War, and lists their names. A slatted metal bench is located within the shelter. The memorial’s unique form as a recess shelter and its innovative early use of reinforced moulded concrete contribute to its architectural interest.