Ollerton War Memorial

First World War memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1920, with Second World War and later additions. It was designed and constructed by R Thompson of Ollerton.

MATERIALS: of Hopton Wood limestone.

DESCRIPTION: Ollerton War Memorial stands at the centre of a triangular-shaped memorial garden which is bounded by Main Street/Newark Road on the south-west, the River Maun to the north-west and the mill race to Ollerton watermill to the east.

The memorial, which stands some 3.5m high, takes the form of a Crusader cross which rises from a tall, tapering, rectangular shaft. The shaft stands on a deep, trapezoidal plinth, rectangular on plan, which in turn sits on a square, three-step base. The whole stands on a concrete foundation.

The principal dedicatory inscription is in leaded lettering on the lower section of the shaft's south-west (front) face and reads 'ERECTED / BY THE INHABITANTS / OF OLLERTON, / TO THE GLORY OF GOD, / AND IN GRATEFUL / MEMORY OF THOSE / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / FOR THEIR COUNTRY / IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 - 1918.' On the plinth below are the names of the 16 men who died in this conflict along with the names of a further 15 men who died during the Second World War.

Placed on the second step of the base is a mid-C20 memorial flower vase inscribed 'IN MEMORY OF / TERENCE ARTHUR / GILLOTT / DIED ON ACTIVE / SERVICE IN CYPRUS / AUG. 28TH 1956 / AGED 21 YEARS'. On the step below is a late-C20 stone memorial tablet inscribed 'IN MEMORY OF / CORPORAL STEPHEN RUSSELL McCONIGLE / KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE IN NORTHERN IRELAND / ON 4TH MAY 1989, AGED 30.'

The memorial stands at the centre of a square-shaped flower bed which is defined by concrete kerbstones and a chain link fence of late date. It is accessed from the north-east and south-east sides by early-C21 tarmac footpaths edged by concrete kerb stones. All these features are not of special interest and are therefore excluded from the listing.