Gate Piers And Gates To Memorial Stadium

901-1/0/10208 FILTON AVENUE 13-DEC-10 (Southwest,off) Gate piers and Gates to Memorial Stadium

II A memorial gateway, dating from 1921, consisting of five gate posts with two double, and two single gates.

PLAN: The piers, which are square in plan, are arranged symmetrically with the principal, larger post in the centre.

FAÇADE: The central pier has two stone plaques in a vertical arrangement. The top is inscribed with '1914-1918/IN PROUD AND/GRATEFUL MEMORY/OF THE SERVICES/RENDERED TO THEIR/COUNTRY IN THE/GREAT WAR BY/RUGBY FOOTBALL/PLAYERS OF BRISTOL/THIS/ GROUND/WAS/ESTABLISHED/1921', the lower is inscribed '1939-1945/AND IN THE WORLD WAR OF 1939-45/THE RUGBY FOOTBALL/PLAYERS OF THIS CITY/GAVE THEIR SERVICES/AND THEIR LIVES/TO THEM ALSO THIS GROUND IS A MEMORIAL'. There is a decorative architrave around the top of the higher plaque. The shaft of the pier has a moulded cornice, and a stepped base. It is stepped two-thirds of the way up to echo the height of the surrounding piers, which are modest with simple steps and cornices. The two double, iron gates have are of simple vertical bars with a central fascia bearing the sign 'BRISTOL RUGBY' 'MEMORIAL GROUND'. There are simple, single gates between the outer two piers on either side.

HISTORY: The Memorial Stadium in North Bristol, now home to Bristol Rovers Football Club, was built shortly after WWI for the Bristol Rugby Club, and dedicated to those members of the club that fell in the First World War. The stone gate piers were used to bear a dedication to those lost in firstly WWI, and latterly WWII. The club was opened in 1921 by the Lord Mayor of Bristol; BG Britton.

The great age of memorial building was in the aftermath of the First World War; it was frequently done on a localised level, with community groups raising funds and erecting memorials independently, or with design guidance from the War Office.

A memorial service continues to be held at the gates on Armistice Day.

SOURCES: UK National Inventory of War Memorials. www.ukniwm.org.uk/server/show/conMemorial.7323/fromUkniwmSearch/1 - accessed 27 October 2010

Reasons for Designation: The Gate Piers and Gates at the Memorial Stadium are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Historical: as a poignant reminder of the tragic impact of world events upon this small community * Context: the gate piers are intact and retain their context as the entranceway to the Memorial Stadium

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, 15 December 2016.