Summary
War memorial cross, erected in the early 1920s.
Reasons for Designation
Wardle War Memorial, erected early 1920s is Listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design interest: it is a dignified and well-executed monument in the form of a Celtic cross, which provides an elegant and fitting tribute to the Fallen of the town from both World Wars;
* Materials: an elegant polished and rubbed granite memorial.
History
The Wardle War Memorial was erected in the early 1920s to commemorate the men of the town who fell during the First World War. It is situated as the central focus of a rectangular-plan memorial garden. It was recorded in the Rochdale Observer (23 June 1945 issue) that the memorial had been vandalised and that some of the lead lettering had been removed, and that Wardle District Council had arranged for the monument to be repaired as soon as possible, and in a better manner than it had been up to that date. It would appear that this involved removing all of the lead lettering and carving the names directly into the memorial. Following the Second World War the memorial was re-dedicated and a plaque was added to record the fallen of that conflict.
Details
War memorial, early1920s.
MATERIALS: polished and rubbed granite.
PLAN: square base and round column.
The memorial comprises a Doric column of polished grey marble, topped with a stylised smoothed granite Celtic cross. The column stands on a polished grey granite pedestal with moulded upper corners and a shouldered base that is raised on a square three-stepped plinth. The front panel of the pedestal is inscribed: ERECTED / TO THE MEMORY OF / THE MEN OF WARDLE / WHO LAID DOWN THEIR / LIVES FOR US IN THE / GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1919. The rear panel of the pedestal reads: SONS OF THIS PLACE LET THIS / OF YOU BE SAID / THAT YOU WHO LIVE ARE WORTHY / OF YOUR DEAD / THESE GAVE THEIR LIVES THAT / YOU WHO LIVE MAY REAP / A RICHER HARVEST ERE YOU / FALL ASLEEP. The two side panels record the eighty-seven names of the fallen of the First World War. A secondary dedication stone has been added to the base of the pedestal, which reads: AND IN THE WORLD WAR 1939 – 45., listing the nineteen names of the fallen of the Second World War, and below this on the plinth a further stone has been added that reads: TO ALL THOSE / WHO DIED IN THE SERVICE / OF / THEIR COUNTRY. The plinth stands on a square base of tamped pea-gravel within concrete edging stones.
Sources
Websites www.mlfs.org.uk/data/war_memorials_images.php?memorial=192 https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/110609 www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/13177
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
The listed building(s) is/are shown coloured blue on the attached map. Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’), structures attached to or within the curtilage of the listed building (save those coloured blue on the map) are not to be treated as part of the listed building for the purposes of the Act.
End of official list entry
