Heswall War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, 1924, with later additions for the Second World War

Reasons for Designation

Heswall War Memorial, which stands at the junction of Dawstone Road and School Hill, 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: a tall and substantial memorial cross.

History

Heswall War Memorial was unveiled in 1924 by Mrs Peter Campbell, the widow of the first Heswall man to die in the First World War, and was dedicated by Canon Hobson. It commemorates 73 local servicemen and one woman who fell in the First World War. Separate stones with plaques that list the names of the community's Second World War fallen were added at a later date.

Details

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located on the corner of Dawstone Road and School Hill opposite the Dee View, at the northern edge of Dawstone Park. It stands in a walled garden looking out to the River Dee to the south-west. The red sandstone memorial comprises a three-stepped, square, base on which stands a square plinth. A short tapering column, square on plan, and finished in a pedimented capital, rises from the plinth. A plain Celtic cross stands on the capital.

The front face of the column is ornamented with a small stone wreath carved in relief. The principal dedicatory inscription in a panel on the front face of the plinth reads TO THE MEMORY OF/ THOSE OF THIS PARISH/ WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918/ AND OF THOSE OF/ WIRRAL URBAN DISTRICT/ WHO FELL IN WORLD WAR II/ 1939 – 1945. The plinth’s two side panels record the names of those who fell in the First World War. To the rear, the fourth panel reads TO THE MEMORY OF/ THOSE CIVILIANS OF THIS PARISH/ KILLED BY ENEMY ACTION IN/ WORLD WAR II 1939 – 1945/ (7 NAMES).

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the memorial stands in a paved area, enclosed by a low curved stone wall with, to the roadside, a chain suspended on low posts. Either side of the memorial two stones bear plaques recording the names of those 104 local servicemen who died during the Second World War. A traffic mirror erected to the rear of the garden is not of special interest.

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, 27 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
Photographs of Cheshire - War Memorial, Heswall, accessed 01/04/2016 from http://www.carlscam.com/warmem/heswall.htm
Public Monuments and Sculpture Association, accessed 01/04/2016 from http://www.pmsa.org.uk/pmsa-database/5003/
War Memorials Register, accessed 27 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/1271
War Memorials Online, accessed 27 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/160909

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