Romanby War Memorial Clock Tower

First World War memorial, 1927 by Mr J R White, with Second World War additions.

MATERIALS: brick-built, clad in ashlar and quarry-faced granite.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial takes the form of a four-stage, square-plan, 10.66m (35 feet) high clock tower in the style of a tall and narrow cenotaph, with each stage being narrower than the proceeding one. The clock tower rises off a three-stepped stone base, with projecting edges; it has a coursed quarry-faced stone block plinth and pedestal. The plinth has a chamfered upper surface and the pedestal has tooled corners, and a moulded cornice. The ashlar second stage has articulated corners, a moulded cornice, and narrow loop windows in the side elevations. There is a roundel in each of the elevations; those to the front and rear house white glazed clock-faces, which can be illuminated at night, with black painted metal Roman numerals and hands. The roundels in the side elevations are blind. The two-stage campanile has articulated corners and a moulded cornice; the lower stage has a semi-circular opening in each elevation, while the upper stage consists of a sarcophagus resting upon the cornice, with a depressed pyramidal top. The side and main elevations of the plinth have square moulded ashlar frames, housing recessed ashlar tablets with lead lettering; the one in the main elevation reads: IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE/ MEN FROM THIS VILLAGE/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ LEST WE FORGET and the two side tablets record the names of the 14 fallen from the First World War. Two granite plaques with lead lettering are attached at the base of the second stage of the main elevation, and record the names of eight fallen from the Second World War. The interior of the tower and the clock mechanism is accessed by a timber door, which is set in a moulded ashlar surround in the rear elevation of the plinth.