Trimdon Grange War Memorial

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
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
Durham Mining Museum, accessed 27/10/2016 from http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/t004.htm
War Memorials Register, accessed 23 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/10326
War Memorials Online, accessed 30 January 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/253766

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