Heddon-on-the-Wall Memorial Cross with memorial park walls and gate piers

Heddon-on-the-Wall Memorial Park, Hexham Road, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, NE15 0BH

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Overview

First World War memorial, 1922, with later additions for the Second World War, and memorial park wall with gate piers, 1925. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1438077
Date first listed:: 02-Dec-2016
List Entry Name:: Heddon-on-the-Wall Memorial Cross with memorial park walls and gate piers
Statutory Address:: Heddon-on-the-Wall Memorial Park, Hexham Road, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, NE15 0BH

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1438077
Date first listed:: 02-Dec-2016
List Entry Name:: Heddon-on-the-Wall Memorial Cross with memorial park walls and gate piers
Statutory Address 1:: Heddon-on-the-Wall Memorial Park, Hexham Road, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, NE15 0BH

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: Heddon-on-the-Wall Memorial Park, Hexham Road, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, NE15 0BH

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: Northumberland (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Heddon-on-the-Wall
National Grid Reference:: NZ1336166967

Summary

First World War memorial, 1922, with later additions for the Second World War, and memorial park wall with gate piers, 1925.

Reasons for Designation

Heddon-on-the-Wall Memorial Cross with memorial park walls and gate piers, Heddon-on-the Wall Memorial Park, are 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 simple yet poignant memorial cross in the Celtic style; * Historic association: the cross stands within the contemporary memorial park, including the park walls and gate piers; * Group value: with a scheduled section of Hadrian’s Wall and vallum and the Frontiers of the Roman Empire (Hadrian’s Wall) World Heritage Site.

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 the country. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Heddon-on-the-Wall as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

By common consent the village pond was drained and the land, donated by Sir James Knott, turned over for the memorial. The memorial cross was unveiled on 11 November 1922 by Sir Loftus Bruce, commemorating 16 local servicemen who died in the First World War. The memorial cost £170, raised by public subscription: the foundations were donated by the Throckley Coal Company.

A garden with various facilities was laid out around the memorial at the expense of Sir James Knott, and opened on 11 November 1925. Sir James and his wife gave the garden to the community in memory of their sons James (d1916) and Henry (d1915), who are buried beside one another in Ypres Reservoir Cemetery. Following the Second World War the names of six men who died in that conflict were added to the cross. Both the memorial cross and the garden were enclosed with railings, which have since been lost.

Details

The memorial cross stands in the Heddon-on-the-Wall Memorial Park off the Hexham Road, within the scheduled area of Hadrian's Wall and vallum from East Town House, Heddon-on-the-Wall to the A69 trunk road in wall mile 12. It is within the Frontiers of the Roman Empire (Hadrian’s Wall) World Heritage Site. The memorial cross takes the form of a Celtic cross, c4m tall and made of granite. The front face of the cross is ornamented with a reversed sword carved in low relief. The cross shaft rises from a pedestal, square on plan and with rounded corners, which stands on a four-stepped base.

The principal dedicatory inscription on the front face of the pedestal reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF/ THOSE FROM THIS PARISH/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY DURING THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ (16 NAMES)/ “SO THEY PASSED OVER, AND ALL THE TRUMPETS/ SOUNDED FOR THEM ON THE OTHER SIDE. The Second World War inscription, on the riser of the top step, reads: ALSO TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE OF THIS PARISH WHO FELL/ IN THE SECOND GREAT WAR 1939 – 1945./ (NAMES).

Whilst the memorial garden’s railings have been lost (thought to have been taken in the Second World War scrap metal drive) the low, coped, stone wall which carried the railings still encloses the garden, including gate piers to the west side. A short length of the wall on the north side remains only as foundations. A bronze plaque on the left-hand gate pier records the creation of the park. The West Yorkshire Regiment’s battle honour for India and the Northumberland Fusiliers’ badge are cast in roundels in low relief to the top of the plaque. The dedicatory inscription reads: THIS PARK/ WAS LAID OUT/ EQUIPPED AND PRESENTED TO/ THE HEDDON-ON-THE-WALL/ PARISH COUNCIL BY/ SIR JAMES AND LADY KNOTT/ OF CLOSE HOUSE WYLAM/ IN MEMORY OF THEIR TWO SONS/ MAJOR/ JAMES LEADBITTER KNOTT/ D.S.O./ 10TH WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT/ AND CAPTAIN/ HENRY BASIL KNOTT/ 9TH NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS/ WHO WERE KILLED IN ACTION/ IN THE GREAT WAR.

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 July 2017.

Sources

Websites
Heddon-on-the-Wall Local History Society, accessed 26/08/2016 from http://heddonhistory.weebly.com/memorial-park.html
North East War Memorials Project, accessed 27/09/2016 from http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=7572
North East War Memorials Project, accessed 18/08/2016 from http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=7571
War Memorials Online, accessed 27 July 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/90384
War Memorials Register, accessed 27 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/34003

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

The listed building(s) is/are shown coloured blue on the attached map. Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’), structures attached to or within the curtilage of the listed building (save those coloured blue on the map) are not to be treated as part of the listed building for the purposes of the Act.