Pooley Hall Colliery War Memorial

A First World War memorial, built around 1921

MATERIALS: the memorial is carved from rough-hewn Cornish granite with leaded inscriptions.

PLAN: the memorial is roughly square on plan and stands within a rectangular area of hardstanding on the west side of Pooley Lane.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is in the form of a tapered pillar with a carved finial in the form of a flame. It is set upon a pedestal surmounting a five-stepped plinth with a shallow, shaped base. It is surrounded by eight smaller pillars with carved, pointed finials. The hardstanding to the east side of the memorial has been inlaid with setts in the form of two crosses.

The names of the 32 workers who lost their lives are inscribed on the north and south faces of the pedestal. The east face of the memorial reads: ‘THIS PILLAR OF REMEMBRANCE / IS ERECTED BY THE WORKPEOPLE / AND OWNERS OF POOLEY HALL / COLLIERY TO THE UNDYING / MEMORY OF THOSE FROM THIS MINE / WHO ANSWERED THE NATION'S CALL / AND FELL IN THE GREAT WAR. / 1914-1919’. On the west face are the words: ‘WHO STANDS IF FREEDOM FALL? / WHO DIES IF ENGLAND LIVE?’