Leeman Road District First World War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial including the names of three female munitions workers.

Reasons for Designation

The Leeman Road District war memorial, unveiled in 1925, is listed at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as a poignant reminder of the impact of tragic world events upon a small, individual community and, thus, having strong cultural and historical significance within both a local and national context;
* Historic interest: for the inclusion of the names of three local women who were killed in the explosion at Barnbow munitions factory in 1916;
* Community interest: as a clear indication that the Leeman Road District formed a distinct small community within the wider area of York;
* Design: as a well-executed bespoke-designed war memorial in the form of a cenotaph.

History

In the early C20, the area of terraced housing at the western end of Leeman Road mainly housed railway workers. This was a close knit community which erected its own war memorial, unveiled on 20 August 1925, listing the names of 72 local men who lost their lives in the armed services. In addition, the memorial lists three women (Mary Carter, Lilian Ellis and Gertrude Reed) who died as a result of an accidental explosion at a shell filling factory, Barnbow near Leeds, which occurred on 5 December 1916, killing 35 women.

The War Memorial was originally positioned on the west side of Balfour Street, but was moved to its current position in 1954 so as to be more visible and less at risk of vandalism. Its current, precise position is thus not part of its special interest, although its general position within the Leeman Road District does contribute to its special interest.

Details

First World War memorial, 1925.

Sandstone cenotaph, Classical in design, standing to 2.3m with a plain paved surround.

The names of the fallen servicemen are inscribed on sunken panels on three sides of the base, the names being listed in alphabetical order by surnames followed by initials. The three women are listed by full name, their names being placed centrally to the front panel. The front of the upper part of the memorial has a further inscribed panel with the text:

IN PROUD
AND LOVING MEMORY
OF THE MEN AND WOMEN
OF LEEMAN ROAD DISTRICT
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN THE GREAT WAR

This is flanked by carved dates 1914 and 1919 framed by wreaths. The corners of the base are chamfered with scrolled stops. The framing of the two front panels are also embellished.

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, 1 February 2017.

Sources

Websites
York and the Great War, accessed from http://yorkandthegreatwar.com/York-Leeman-Road-District-War-Memorial
War Memorials Online, accessed 1 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/166974
War Memorials Register, accessed 1 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/47282

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