Castle Donington War Memorial

The Castle Donington War Memorial is a 1921 monument designed by Cecil Greenwood Hare, erected to commemorate those lost in the First and Second World Wars. The memorial is constructed from honey-coloured ashlar limestone and takes the form of a calvary set within a tall, round-headed arch with hollow moulding, topped with a keystone carved as a stone scroll inscribed 'I.N.R.I'. Above this is an oak gable, supported by stone corbels, bearing the inscription 'THEY LOVED NOT THEIR LIVES UNTO THE DEATH'. The entire structure stands on a moulded plinth supporting a rectangular pedestal bearing a Portland stone tablet. This tablet bears an inscription remembering those who died in the Great War of 1914-1919, referencing a biblical passage. Curved walls of rock-faced, polygonal stone with limestone coping and limestone pillars flank the memorial, and a second curved wall forms a semi-circular forecourt with steps leading up to the memorial. Bronze plaques on the pillars list the names of the fallen from the First World War, while a bronze plaque in the plinth commemorates those who died 1939-1945. The site was donated by Miss Eaton, and the limestone by John Gillies Shields JP. Cecil Greenwood Hare (1875-1932) specialised in ecclesiastical buildings and church interiors, and was a pupil and later partner of George Frederick Bodley (1827-1907). The memorial demonstrates Hare's continuing work in the Bodleian architectural style. The memorial was unveiled and dedicated on 12 January 1921 by Lady Donington and the Bishop of Peterborough.