Tarporley War Memorial
Churchyard of St Helen’s Church, Tarporley, Vale Royal, Cheshire, CW6 0AG
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1439675
- Date first listed:
- 11-Nov-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Tarporley War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Churchyard of St Helen’s Church, Tarporley, Vale Royal, Cheshire, CW6 0AG
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1439675
- Date first listed:
- 11-Nov-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Tarporley War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Churchyard of St Helen’s Church, Tarporley, Vale Royal, Cheshire, CW6 0AG
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:
- Churchyard of St Helen’s Church, Tarporley, Vale Royal, Cheshire, CW6 0AG
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Cheshire West and Chester (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Tarporley
- National Grid Reference:
- SJ5536662559
Summary
First World War memorial and dedication tablet by Sir Percy Scott Worthington.
Reasons for Designation
Tarporley War Memorial, dedicated in 1921, 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 community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: an ornate and striking lantern cross with carved decorative details and fine lettering, designed by the architect Sir Percy Scott Worthington;
* Group value: with the Church of St Helen (Grade II*).
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, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Tarpoley as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
The war memorial was designed by architect Sir Percy Scott Worthington (1864-1939) who was a partner in his father Thomas Worthington’s firm in Manchester. Thomas Worthington designed a number of Manchester’s pre-eminent Victorian buildings and his son became a partner in 1889. He is best known for his work on hospital buildings.
The total cost of the finished war memorial was £700. It commemorates 61 fallen local men and the names of those who died are recorded on a sandstone-bordered slate tablet (included in the listing) fixed to the churchyard wall. The memorial was dedicated in 1921.
Following the Second World War, 12 names of those who lost their lives in that war were added to the slate plaque.
Details
First World War memorial and dedication tablet of 1921 designed by Sir Percy Scott Worthington.
MATERIALS: Portland stone memorial, sandstone-bordered slate plaque.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located within the churchyard of St Helen’s Church close to the churchyard wall. The memorial comprises a lantern cross set upon an octagonal plinth with carved decorative details on four of the corners. A figure of Christ with the cross is carved within the lantern. It is set upon a two-stepped base. Inscribed around the octagonal plinth in ornate medieval-style raised lettering is: REMEMBER THE LOVE/ OF THEM THAT CAME/ NOT HOME FROM THE/ WAR IN THE YEARS OF OUR LORD NINETEEN HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN TO NINETEEN HUNDRED/ AND NINETEEN.
To the rear of the memorial set into the churchyard wall is a sandstone-bordered slate plaque. The stone border carries the inscription in ornate medieval-style raised lettering: IN SACRED SLEEP THEY LIE/ SAY NOT THE BRAVE CAN DIE. Underneath, the slate plaque is inscribed with the names of those who fell.
Underneath, an additional section has been added inscribed with: 1939 – 1945/ (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 11 May 2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/10021
DSA Architect Biography Report, ‘Sir Percy Scott Worthington’, 2014, accessed 21 August 2016 from http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=204600
War Memorials Online, accessed 26 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/201218
Other
‘Tarporley Intercessions Service’, Chester Chronicle, Saturday 10 August 1918
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 21-Jun-2026 at 03:50:48.
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.