Quarry Bank Peace Memorial and Garden

The memorial is in a raised memorial garden in Stevens Park. The garden, entered up a rake of steps from the west side, with stone flagged paths, is enclosed by a low stone wall. That is stepped to accommodate the contour of the ground in this area of the park and has two raised sections to north and south. The memorial includes the figure of Christ sculpted by George Wade and two memorial walls to the rear.

The central monument, raised on a base of three steps, takes the form of a tall Portland stone pylon with a scotia moulding to the base. The more than life-sized figure of Christ stands on top of the pylon, facing west. The figure, robed and cloaked, has arms stretched forward and takes a step forward in welcome. Each face of the pylon is ornamented with a plain Latin cross carved in low relief with, to the front, the inscription: MY PEACE / I GIVE / UNTO YOU.

To the rear the main memorial wall is fronted by a low rake of three steps. The wall rises from the garden wall in three stages to the central section, each section slightly projecting from the previous one. To the extreme left, the first section bears the inscription: HE HATH MADE OF / ONE BLOOD ALL NATIONS. To the extreme right this is mirrored by: I SAW A NEW HEAVEN / AND A NEW EARTH. The principal dedicatory inscription, rendered in applied bronze letters, reads across the main sections of the wall: TO THE IMMORTAL HONOUR OF THE MEN OF QUARRY BANK WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR / THIS MEMORIAL IS DEDICATED IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL RECOGNITION BY THE RESIDENTS OF QUARRY BANK. Each of these main sections carries metal plaques below this dedication, recording the commemorated names.

To the top of the wall’s central section a wreath carved in relief encircles: IN / MEMORIAM, with below: THEIR NAME / LIVETH FOR EVERMORE. To either side, carved in relief on the front face of the flanking wall sections, are the dates 1914 (to left) and 1918 (to right).

The later memorial wall, to the right, also rises from the garden wall. This has one step to the front. The dedicatory inscription, also in applied bronze letters, reads: TO THE IMMORTAL MEMORY OF THE MEN OF QUARRY BANK / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1939 – 1945. Five plaques below record the commemorated names, with one small metal strip below the central plaque recording the most recent commemorated name.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 6 March 2017.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 07/03/2017