Denton War Memorial, Victoria Park, Victoria Street, Denton

Summary

War Memorial commemorating the First World War, with additions for conflicts following 1945. 1921 to designs by James J Hirst and Arnold Radcliffe in white granite.

Reasons for Designation

Denton War Memorial of 1921 by James J Hirst and Arnold Radcliffe is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic Interest: as a poignant reminder of the tragic impact of world events upon an individual community, commemorating the 387 men from Denton and Haughton who lost their lives fighting in the First World War, and those who fell in conflicts after 1945
* Design: the dignified design of a tapering obelisk on a deep, cruciform pedestal combined elements of two winning designs from a competition and the monumentality of the resulting memorial is a fitting tribute to the many lives lost
* Group Value: the war memorial stands in close proximity to a Grade II-listed Victorian bandstand which is situated in the centre of Victoria Park

History

In June 1919 Denton Urban District Council resolved to compile a roll of all those who had died serving their country in the First World War. Enumerators were sent round the district to collect names and details. Residents were also asked to write to the council with details. A competition was then held for the design of a suitable memorial for the 387 men from Denton and Haughton who died. This resulted in two designs being short-listed. One was by James J Hirst, a monumental mason of Market Street, Denton. The other was Arnold Radcliffe, son of Clarence Radcliffe of Messrs Radcliffe & Ogden, silk hat manufacturers of Howard Lane, Denton. The council was unable to choose between Hirst and Radcliffe's designs and so the £30 prize was shared with parts of both designs adopted.

The memorial was constructed by Hirst. It stood 20 ft (6m) high, weighed 90 tons (91.4 tonnes) and was attached to a solid bed of concrete more than a yard (0.9m) thick. It was unveiled by Austin Hopkinson MP (Mossley Constituency) on Saturday 23 July 1921.

At an unknown date after 1945 an inscribed bronze plaque was attached on the plinth of the pedestal commemorating the men and women of the town who had lost their lives in military conflicts in the years since 1945. This plaque was stolen c1978 and was subsequently replaced with a granite tablet bearing the same inscription.

Details

War memorial commemorating the First World War, with additions for conflicts following 1945. 1921 to designs by James J Hirst and Arnold Radcliffe. White granite.

PLAN: Rectangular, tapering obelisk of large blocks on a deep, cruciform pedestal set on a flight of four cruciform steps standing on a shallow, rectangular base.


DESCRIPTION: the war memorial is set in Victoria Park near to a C19 bandstand (Grade II). The tall, tapering obelisk is formed of large stone blocks with stepped blocks towards the top with a diamond-shaped cap and a deep chamfered plinth at the base. The front elevation of the obelisk has a projecting rectangular panel topped by a tapering, engaged column which rises part-way up the obelisk. The panel is inscribed IN GRATEFUL / AND / UNDYING / REMEMBRANCE OF / THOSE WHO GAVE / THEIR LIVES IN / THE GREAT WAR / 1914-1918 / THIS MEMORIAL HAS / BEEN ERECTED BY / THEIR FELLOW / TOWNSMEN / JULY 1921. The rear elevation of the obelisk has a similar tapering, engaged column set on a double-stepped plinth. The obelisk stands on a deep, cruciform pedestal with a moulded cornice and deep, cyma reversa moulded plinth. The central face of the pedestal on the front elevation has a panel inscribed with the names of the men lost arranged in alphabetical order. The recessed outer faces each have a square panel relief-carved with a wreath; the left-hand wreath encompasses the date 1914 and the right-hand wreath encompasses the date 1918. Set against the plinth beneath the central panel is a small rectangular, granite tablet inscribed IN PROUD MEMORY OF / THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THIS TOWN / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AT / THE CALL OF THEIR COUNTRY / IN THE YEARS SINCE 1945 / WE WILL REMEMBER THEM. The right-hand and left-hand side elevations of the pedestal each have a panel inscribed with names. The rear elevation has panels of inscribed names on the central face of the pedestal and on both the recessed outer faces. The pedestal is raised on a flight of four cruciform steps standing on a shallow, rectangular base.

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, 30 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 2 September 2015 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/3268
Denton War Memorial, accessed 2 September 2015 from http://www.pittdixon.go-plus.net/denton/war-memorial.htm
Tameside MBC, Denton War Memorial, accessed 2 September 2015 from http://www.tameside.gov.uk/warmemorial/denton
War Memorials Online, accessed 30 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/119362

End of official list entry

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