Colne War Memorial

Summary

First and Second World War Memorial. Designed by T H Hartley, Borough Engineer. Portland stone and sandstone with grey and black marble floor and plaques of grey marble and bronze.

Reasons for Designation

Colne War Memorial of 1930 by T H Hartley, Borough Engineer, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: as a well-designed and eye-catching structure in the form of a classical propylaeum, a type of monumental entrance gateway leading to a temple;
* Design: the war memorial uses good-quality Portland stone for the structure with black and grey marble floor, grey marble and bronze name plaques, incorporating high-quality craftsmanship particularly in the relief carving of lettering, and the Colne and Lancashire coats of arms;
* Group value: the war memorial stands in close proximity to the Wallace Hartley memorial, a 1915 memorial commemorating the Titanic band leader in his home town.

History

The war memorial was erected in 1930 to designs by T H Hartley, the Borough Engineer. It took the form of a propylaeum, or imposing monumental entrance gateway leading to a temple. It was erected in a small square on the north side of Albert Road, necessitating the relocation of the Wallace Hartley Monument (Grade II) to one side. On the inner end walls are four plaques containing the names of 682 casualties mostly identified by initials and surnames. Amongst them is one woman, Mary Robinson. It is not known whether she was participating in the war, perhaps as a nurse, or was a civilian casualty in Colne.

Subsequently 116 casualties of the Second World War were added to a Stone of Remembrance which stands in the centre of the memorial.

On the west inner wall a small plaque bearing a single name, J Baxter, has been added. It commemorates Sergeant John Baxter who died at the Battle of the Lys in April 1918. However, because his body was never found he was recorded as missing and his name was not added to the memorial at the time of its construction. It was eventually added in 2011.

Details

War Memorial, designed by T H Hartley, Borough Engineer. Portland stone and sandstone with grey and black marble floor and plaques of grey marble and bronze.

PLAN: rectangular, flat-roofed structure set on a sloping base with central steps up to the open colonnades at the front and back, blind end walls, and a central Stone of Remembrance.

DESCRIPTION: the front, south elevation faces onto Albert Road. It is slightly raised on a shallow, sloping base of squared sandstone of differing sizes with three shallow, central steps. The elevation is a three-bay Portland stone colonnade with square outer pilasters and two free-standing square columns of Portland stone set on sandstone bases, all with plainly moulded square capitals supporting an entablature. The frieze has an inscription in raised lettering which says ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE. The east end wall is blind with a sandstone plinth and square outer pilasters with sandstone bases. The frieze has the inscription GREAT WAR 1914-1918. The wall has a relief carving of the Colne coat of arms and motto. The back, north elevation is similar to the front elevation. The frieze has the inscription ‘AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER THEM’. The west end wall is blind with a sandstone plinth and square outer pilasters with sandstone bases. The frieze has the inscription ’LEST WE FORGET’ The wall has a relief carving of the Lancashire coat of arms and motto.

Within the memorial the floor has a geometric pattern in grey and black marble. The ceiling has moulded panels. Both end walls have two tall, inset, grey marble panels with a roll-call of the First World War casualties. The west wall has a small, attached marble plaque between the two original plaques inscribed with the name J. BAXTER. In the centre of the floor is a large Stone of Remembrance with a deep, moulded plinth and shaped cap. Both sides are inscribed 1939-45. Beneath are bronze plaques naming the Second World War casualties in raised lettering. The south side has a single, large plaque. The north side has one large plaque with two smaller plaques below.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 27 April 2015 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/3317
Lancashire Telegraph, Colne soldier finally on the town's memorial, 93 years after his death, accessed 27 April 2015 from http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/9359100.Colne_soldier_finally_on_the_town__s_memorial_93_years_after_his_death/
War Memorials Online, accessed 2 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/159433

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