Rainow War Memorial Cross and Seat
Memorial Garden, Tower Hill, Rainow, Cheshire, SK10 5TX
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1437499
- Date first listed:
- 08-Sept-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Rainow War Memorial Cross and Seat
- Statutory Address:
- Memorial Garden, Tower Hill, Rainow, Cheshire, SK10 5TX
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1437499
- Date first listed:
- 08-Sept-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Rainow War Memorial Cross and Seat
- Statutory Address 1:
- Memorial Garden, Tower Hill, Rainow, Cheshire, SK10 5TX
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:
- Memorial Garden, Tower Hill, Rainow, Cheshire, SK10 5TX
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Cheshire East (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Rainow
- National Park:
- Peak District
- National Grid Reference:
- SJ9481875794
Summary
First World War memorial cross and Second World War memorial seat.
Reasons for Designation
Rainow War Memorial Cross and Seat, standing in the memorial garden on Tower Hill, are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: an elegant memorial cross and sensitively-designed memorial seat both built in a local stone;
* Group value: with the Grade II-listed buildings of Tower Hill Farm.
History
The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. One such memorial was raised at Rainow as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 37 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was designed and built by Andrew Sutton (d1921), local stone mason and sub-postmaster. Following the Second World War a stone memorial seat was built into the memorial garden, behind the memorial cross. This commemorates the seven local men who died in that conflict.
Details
The war memorial cross stands in a small garden to the south side of Tower Hill, opposite the Grade II-listed buildings of Tower Hill Farm. Built of Kerridge stone, the c6m tall cross comprises a small wheel-head cross rising from a tapered octagonal shaft. The moulded and decorated shaft foot stands on a tapering pedestal. The pedestal stands on a two-stage base, which stands on a low step.
The principal dedicatory inscription on the front face of the pedestal reads THEIR NAME LIVETH/ FOR EVERMORE./ IN MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF/ RAINOW WHO FELL/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919. Commemorated First World War names are listed on the other sides of the pedestal.
A substantial seat, also in Kerridge stone, stands behind the memorial cross to the rear of the garden. The seat is formed of a rectangular bay of coursed stone walling, with internal stone benching to the rear and sides. The bay wall is modulated from the centre and capped. A stone plaque let into the rear wall records the Second World War dedication, reading IN PROUD & HONOURED MEMORY OF THE MEN/ OF RAINOW WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE/ WORLD WAR 1939 – 45/ (7 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, 26 January 2017.
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 08/07/2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/1985
Rainow Community Website, accessed 08/07/2016 from http://www.rainow.org/
War Memorials Online, accessed 26 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/183639
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 09-Jun-2026 at 22:04:31.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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