War Memorial

The Crathorne War Memorial, built around 1919, is made of sandstone and takes the form of a cross mounted on a double octagonal plinth. The front of the cross features a single incised line with a central circle. At the base of the cross, the names of five individuals who fell in the war are inscribed, including Sister Alice Welford. The left side of the memorial bears the inscription: "IN/EVER GRATEFUL MEMORY/OF/THOSE WHO FELL/AND/THOSE WHO FOUGHT/IN THE GREAT WAR," while the right side displays the dates "1914/1918." On the rear, a poem is inscribed: "THERE IS BUT ONE TASK FOR ALL/FOR EACH ONE LIFE TO GIVE/WHO STANDS IF FREEDOM FALL?/WHO DIES IF ENGLAND LIVE?" The front of the base states: "THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED/BY/THE INHABITANTS OF CRATHORNE." The memorial is located in the front gardens of a reading room in the center of the village. War memorials like this one are significant as they reflect the impact of major world events on local communities, and this particular memorial has strong local connections, notably with a woman's name among those commemorated.