Olney War Memorial

The Derbyshire stone memorial stands in the northern end of the Market Place, adjacent to numerous Grade II-listed buildings and the Grade II*-listed Gilpin House and Orchard Side, Cowper House and Newton Museum. It takes the form of a c6m tall column, square on plan, rising from a pedestal and two-stepped base.

The column is ornamented with wreaths carved in low relief on each face at its foot, and a narrow laurel leaf and ribbon band towards the top. The pedestal below dies back to the column foot. The incised inscriptions are recorded on the pedestal’s faces and the upper stage of the pedestal’s foot.

The principal dedicatory inscription to the front (north) face of the pedestal reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF THE MEN/ FROM THIS TOWN/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919./ ”THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE” and below IN TOKEN OF SORROW FOR THEIR LOSS,/ OF PRIDE IN THEIR VALOUR./ 1939 – 1945. The First World War names are listed in inset panels on the other three faces, with the Second World War names recorded on the upper stage of the pedestal’s foot.