Preston Colliery War Memorial
Preston Cemetery, Walton Avenue, North Shields, North Tyneside
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1410878
- Date first listed:
- 27-Nov-2012
- List Entry Name:
- Preston Colliery War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Preston Cemetery, Walton Avenue, North Shields, North Tyneside
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1410878
- Date first listed:
- 27-Nov-2012
- List Entry Name:
- Preston Colliery War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Preston Cemetery, Walton Avenue, North Shields, North Tyneside
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Preston Cemetery, Walton Avenue, North Shields, North Tyneside
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- North Tyneside (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- NZ3423069150
Summary
First World War memorial, 1924 to the designs of Messrs. Cackett and Burns Dick of Newcastle and sculpted by D.W. Foster.
Reasons for Designation
Preston Colliery war memorial is designated at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: it is a poignant reminder of the impact of tragic world events upon an individual community and, thus has strong cultural and historical significance within both a local and national context;
* Design: by the noted regional architectural firm Cackett & Burns Dick, this war memorial is attractive and well-detailed.
History
At the start of the First World War 900 men were employed at Preston Colliery, and of these 392 joined the war effort, with 65 losing their lives. This war memorial was commissioned by the colliery owners, G.A. Ritson and Sons, and was designed by Messrs. Cackett and Burns Dick of Newcastle. The sculptor was Mr D.W. Foster, whose monumental workshop was nearby. A curving wall to the rear of the obelisk with wooden seats was erected by Messrs. Lant of Newcastle. The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 15th June 1924 by Mr U.A. Ritson, Colliery Chairman, and was dedicated by Rev. R.E. Holmes. The memorial was originally sited at the junction of Queen Alexandra Road and Billy Mill Lane, but was moved to its present location in Preston Cemetery in 1964 due to road development; the curving wall to the rear with wooden seats was not re-erected on the new site.
Details
MATERIALS: silver-grey granite, bronze detail and lettering.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is in the form of a tall, slender, gently tapering, octagonal obelisk resting on an octagonal pedestal, which in turn rests on a three-stepped octagonal base. Towards the top of the obelisk the diagonal faces contain projecting blocks to create an armless cross. Eight carved bosses decorate the top of the pedestal and there is a bronze sword of sacrifice fixed to the face of the obelisk.
The first panel of the pedestal bears the inscription in lead lettering:
TO OUR GLORIOUS DEAD / 1914-18 / PRESTON COLLIERY
And beneath on the top step of the base:
ERECTED BY/J A RITSON & SON
The names of the 65 Fallen are recorded on panels two to six of the pedestal.
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, 8 February 2017.
Sources
Websites
Cross 1914-18, Preston Colliery Cemetery, accessed from http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=8367
War Memorials Register, accessed 8 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/11506
War Memorials Online, accessed 8 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/139066
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 27-Jun-2026 at 16:01:18.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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