Stargate War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Stargate War Memorial, which stands in the garden at the junction of Stargate Lane and King Edward Street, 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 sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a well-proportioned war memorial in the Classical style.

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

Stargate was the pit village for Stargate Colliery. The colliery opened in 1803 and closed in 1963. The war memorial, unveiled on 14 February 1920 by Colonel FR Simpson, was commissioned from Mr W Donaldson of Newcastle by the Welcome Home Association. Eleven local servicemen who died in the First World War are commemorated. Following the Second World War the names of a further 22 men who died in that conflict were added.

Details

The memorial stands in a small garden at the junction of Stargate Lane and King Edward Road, immediately to the south of the Aged Miners’ Homes (not listed). It takes the form of a tall Aberdeen granite column surmounted by an urn and standing on a Spanish freestone base. The urn is topped with an eternal flame

The inscriptions are recorded on the column. The principal dedication reads ERECTED BY THE/ STARGATE WELCOME HOME ASSOCIATION/ TO THE MEMORY OF THE FOLLOWING MEN/ WHOSE NAMES ARE RECORDED BELOW WHO DIED FOR/ THEIR COUNTRY AND SEALED THEIR LOVE/ BY DEATH IN THE GREAT WAR/ AUG.1914 - NOV. 1918/ (NAMES)/ MAY THEIR REWARD BE AS GREAT AS THEIR SACRIFICE.

The later inscription to the rear of the column reads 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES). A small metal plaque fixed to the memorial’s base reads TYNE GARDENS RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION/ IN COMMEMORATION 50TH ANNIVERSARY/ V.E. DAY 1995/ AND V.J. DAY AUG.14TH 1994.


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, 23 February 2017.

Sources

Websites
North East War Memorials Project, accessed 18/10/2016 from http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=8515
Durham Mining Museum, accessed 18/10/2016 from http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/s011.htm
War Memorials Register, accessed 23 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/42145
War Memorials Online, accessed 23 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/249200

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