Byers Green War Memorial
Junction of High Street, Church Street and Hagg Lane, Byers Green, County Durham, DL16 7QJ
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1433893
- Date first listed:
- 25-Apr-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Byers Green War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Junction of High Street, Church Street and Hagg Lane, Byers Green, County Durham, DL16 7QJ
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1433893
- Date first listed:
- 25-Apr-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Byers Green War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Junction of High Street, Church Street and Hagg Lane, Byers Green, County Durham, DL16 7QJ
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:
- Junction of High Street, Church Street and Hagg Lane, Byers Green, County Durham, DL16 7QJ
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- County Durham (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Spennymoor
- National Grid Reference:
- NZ2252333792
Summary
First World War memorial, 1925, with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Byers Green War Memorial, which stands at the junction of Church Street and Hagg Road, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: an elegant memorial cross;
* Group value: with the Grade II-listed former National School and Schoolmaster’s House.
History
Byers Green war memorial, by Messrs Lowes of Durham, was unveiled on 12 April 1925 by Dr T A Beresford Kane JP and dedicated by Reverend F E Loxley. It commemorates 39 local servicemen who died during the First World War. The memorial cost £330, raised by public subscription and through fund raising events. Following the Second World War the details of nine men who died in that conflict were added and the memorial was re-dedicated on 6 June 1948 by Reverend R Cartwright. At that time the memorial was re-furbished by William Allison and Sons at a cost of £175, completing works which could not be afforded in 1925.
Details
The tall granite memorial stands at the junction of Church Street and Hagg Road, opposite the Grade II-listed former National School and Schoolmaster’s House. It comprises a Maltese cross rising from a tapered shaft with moulded foot ring. That stands on a corniced plinth with moulded base. The plinth’s edges are chamfered and the four faces are polished. There is a low grill at the front of the base to hold wreaths against the memorial. The whole is raised on a low stone step, enclosed by an iron rail.
The principal dedicatory inscription on the front face of the plinth reads TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN HONOURED MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF/ BYERS GREEN/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ DURING THE GREAT WAR./ 1914 -/ “THEIR BODIES ARE BURIED IN PEACE,/ BUT THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE.”
The First World War names are listed on either side of the plinth. The Second World War inscription on the rear face reads 1939 – 1945/ (9 NAMES)/ “THEIR SEED SHALL REMAIN FOR EVER AND/ THEIR GLORY SHALL NOT BE BLOTTED OUT.”
This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 7 February 2017.
Sources
Websites
North East War Memorials Project - Byers Green, accessed 25/02/2016 from http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=6497
War Memorials Register, accessed 7 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/10304
War Memorials Online, accessed 7 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/225192
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 25-Jun-2026 at 18:26:22.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.