Trafford Park War Memorial

Summary

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

Reasons for Designation

Trafford Park War Memorial, which stands outside St Anthony’s Church, 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 sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a richly ornamented cross in the Celtic style.

History

Trafford Park, once the estate of De Trafford Hall, became Europe’s first purpose-built industrial estate in the 1890s following the building of the Manchester Ship Canal. In 1889 George Westinghouse acquired a site to set up British Westinghouse on Trafford Park, and built a village for his workforce near to the factory. The village included more than 700 houses with community facilities such as schools and churches, arranged around 12 streets and four avenues.

The war memorial to the Men and Lads of Trafford Park was erected outside St Cuthbert’s Church on Third Avenue. It commemorates 67 local men who died in the First World War. Following the Second World War the names of 28 men who died in that conflict were added, one of whom was a civilian who died in an air raid. Trafford Park Village was largely lost to new development in the 1980s, the last residents leaving in 1982. The war memorial was moved c250m to stand outside St Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church (not listed) on Eleventh Street.

Details

The memorial stands outside the north porch of St Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church. It takes the form of a granite Celtic cross. The front face of the cross is ornamented with panels of intricate interlace patterns, carved in low relief, with a hemispherical boss in the centre of the cross head. The cross rises from a tapering plinth which stands on a base, square on plan, which is raised on two steps.

The principal dedicatory inscription to the front face of the plinth reads TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND/ IN MEMORY OF/ THE BRAVE MEN & LADS/ OF TRAFFORD PARK/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ “WHO DIED FOR US”/ “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS,/ THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS/ FRIENDS.” (ST JOHN XV 13).

The First World War names are recorded on the sides of the plinth and the front face of the base. A rectangular stone laid on the lower step to the front of the memorial records the Second World War dedication, reading ROLL OF HONOUR WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945/ (28 NAMES).

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 1 July 2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/3219
St Anthony's Centre for Church and Industry - Heritage, accessed 01/07/2016 from http://www.stantonyscentre.org.uk/heritage/trafford-park-history.php
War Memorials Online, accessed 4 October 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/119404

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