Uttoxeter War Memorial

A town war memorial of c.1928.

MATERIALS AND PLAN: the memorial is constructed of Hollington stone ashlar and is octagonal in plan.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial sits in the Market Square in Uttoxeter and is in a Perpendicular gothic style, in the form of a medieval Eleanor Cross. The monument is of four main stages, which sit atop a four-stepped base. The principal, upper stages are each supported by eight buttresses, topped by decorative finials with carved crockets. The central stage contains linenfold panelling in the reveals, with carved tracery above. The upper stage also has carved tracery panels which contain bronze grilles. The whole is surmounted by a carved stone cross.

The original bronze plaques commemorating the fallen of the First World War are set into the stone of the second stage, with the inscription, "TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF UTTOXETER/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 - 1918". After 1945, further plaques were added commemorating the losses of the Second World War, with the inscription, "TO THE GLORIOUS/ MEMORY OF THE MEN/ OF UTTOXETER WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES IN/ THE WORLD WAR/ 1939 - 1945", with a Greek Cross below.

After the Gulf War a further plaque was added, inscribed, "IN HONOUR/ AND MEMORY OF/ SERGEANT/ MICHAEL DOWLING M.M./ KILLED/ WHILST ON ACTIVE SERVICE/ IN THE GULF WAR/ 26TH FEBRUARY/ 1991'. An additional plaque was added to commemorate the conflict in Afghanistan, inscribed, "IN MEMORY/ LCpL BARRY BUXTON/ 21 ENGINEER REGIMENT/ 3 MAY 2010/ AFGHANISTAN".

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES The stepped base is today concealed by modern timber boarding to create planters.The monument is also now enclosed within a series of modern metal bollards.

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, 19 January 2017.