Seaton Carew War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial by JH Garry FRIBA, unveiled 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Seaton Carew War Memorial, which stands on The Green, is 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: a simple yet poignant memorial cross by local architect James Garry FRIBA, who has a number of listed buildings to his name.

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. 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, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Seaton Carew as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The memorial was unveiled on 6 February 1921 by Colonel L Robson CMG DSO and dedicated by the Bishop of Durham. It commemorates 24 local servicemen who died during the First World War: 235 people, including nine women, had served. The memorial was designed by JH Garry and built by Messrs Ainslie and Collin of Hartlepool. Following the Second World War the dedication was adapted to mark the losses of that conflict.

James H Garry FRIBA (1850-1918), born at Bishop Auckland (County Durham) commenced practice in West Hartlepool in 1870. His varied regional work includes designs for schools, hospitals, shops and banks, and ecclesiastical buildings: examples include the Grand Hotel and 125 and 127 Park Road, Hartelpool, and the Former Town Hall, Thornaby, all Grade II-listed.

Details

The memorial stands at the northern end of The Green, overlooking The Cliff and the sea to the east. Numerous Grade II-listed buildings surround The Green. The sandstone memorial, c4m tall, takes the form of a cross rising from a pedestal, square on plan, which stands on a two-stepped base. The cross head is a Maltese cross with a wreath carved in relief at the centre of the cross arms to front and rear.

The pedestal’s cornice is ornamented with a Greek key design. Westmoreland Slate panels to each face of the pedestal record the dedication and names, with to the front TO OUR/ GLORIOUS DEAD/ 1914-1918/ 1939-1945/ SEATON CAREW. Dwarf pillars mark the corners of the lower step of the base.


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 February 2017.

Sources

Books and journals
Felstead, A, Directory of British Architects 1834 to 1914 Volume 1 A-K, (2001), 711

Websites
North East War Memorials Project, accessed 28/09/2016 from http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=8576
War Memorials Register, accessed 27 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/18864
War Memorials Online, accessed 27 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/238161

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