Guide Post War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial designed by Mr Maughan, unveiled 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Guide Post War Memorial, which stands on Morpeth Road, 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 tall and imposing memorial cross in a regional stone.

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 Guide Post 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 2 July 1921 by Mr W Short and dedicated by Reverend J Burdon. It commemorates 51 local servicemen who died during the First World War, costing £230, raised by public subscription, whilst the original plot was donated by Mr W Short. The memorial was designed by Mr Maughan, sculpted by Mr Gibson, monumental mason of Newbiggin, and built by Mr W Robertson of Guide Post. The original palings, now lost, were provided by Swinney Bros Ltd.

Following the Second World War the names of 18 men who died in that conflict were added, and the memorial was unveiled by Mr TH Cruddis and re-dedicated by Reverend GH Earle on 19 October 1952. In 1921 the memorial stood at the east side of the Choppington Road, but it was moved to its current location in advance of a road-widening scheme.

Details

The c3.5m tall memorial stands on a grassy plot on Morpeth Road. Built of Red sandstone from the Doddington quarries, it comprises a small wheel-head cross at the top of a tapering shaft, which stands on the pedimented top of the plinth. The base of the plinth stands on a three-stepped base.

The principal dedicatory inscription to the front face of the plinth reads THEY LIVED AND DIED LIKE BRITONS/ FOR KING AND COUNTRY/ ERECTED/ IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL/ REMEMBRANCE OF THE MEN/ CONNECTED WITH/ GUIDE POST, CHOPPINGTON/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ AND WHOSE NAMES ARE/ INSCRIBED HEREON/ 1914 - 1919 / 1939 – 1945. The commemorated names from both conflicts are inscribed to the faces of the plinth and its 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

Websites
North East War Memorials Project, accessed 31/10/2016 from http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=6811
War Memorials Register, accessed 27 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/33837
War Memorials Online, accessed 27 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/244500

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