Trimdon Grange War Memorial

Trimdon Grange Cemetery, Northside, Trimdon Grange, County Durham, TS29 6HN

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

War memorial for both the First and also the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1440844
Date first listed:: 20-Jan-2017
List Entry Name:: Trimdon Grange War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Trimdon Grange Cemetery, Northside, Trimdon Grange, County Durham, TS29 6HN

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1440844
Date first listed:: 20-Jan-2017
List Entry Name:: Trimdon Grange War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Trimdon Grange Cemetery, Northside, Trimdon Grange, County Durham, TS29 6HN

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:: Trimdon Grange Cemetery, Northside, Trimdon Grange, County Durham, TS29 6HN

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

District:: County Durham (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Trimdon
National Grid Reference:: NZ3743135298

Summary

War memorial for both the First and also the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Trimdon Grange War Memorial, which stands in Trimdon Grange Cemetery, 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 simple yet poignant war memorial with subtle decorative elements and good quality lettering, carefully designed with access for ceremonial use in mind.

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.

Trimdon Grange was part of the settlement serving Trimdon Grange Colliery. The colliery was opened in 1845 and closed in 1968. Following the First World War the community raised a marble and alabaster plaque in the Colliery Miners’ Hall to commemorate the 450 men from Trimdon Grange, Trimdon Colliery, Trimdon Village and Kelloe Winning who had served in the conflict, of whom 94 had died. Unveiled in 1920, the plaque was salvaged from the disused hall and moved to St Alban’s Church (not listed) in 1967.

In addition, a free-standing war memorial stone was erected in Trimdon Grange Cemetery. In 1950 a further inscription marking the Second World War was added to that stone, unveiled in November of that year by Councillor W Burton.

Details

The memorial stone stands close to the western entrance to Trimdon Grange Cemetery. It takes the form of a large stone tablet with a curved top, and pilasters carved in low relief to either side. The plaque is raised on a two-stepped base and stands to the rear of a stepped platform enclosed by low walls to either side.

The principal dedicatory inscription on the plaque reads THIS/ MEMORIAL/ WAS ERECTED BY/ THE INHABITANTS OF THE TRIMDONS/ IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEIR MEMORIAL/ IN THE MINER’S HALL, TRIMDON GRANGE./ TO THE MEMORY OF THE MEN/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ “THEY DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR”. The grammatical error in the inscription (Miner’s should be Miners') has been commented on in the local press, but has never been altered. Below on the riser of the uppermost step the later dedication reads ALSO THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945.

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, 30 January 2018.

Sources

Websites
Durham Mining Museum, accessed 27/10/2016 from http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/t004.htm
North East War Memorials Project, accessed 27/10/2016 from http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=8550
North East War Memorials Project, accessed 27/10/2016 from http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=8551
War Memorials Online, accessed 30 January 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/253766
War Memorials Register, accessed 23 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/10326

Legal

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