Shore Mill War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, erected during the 1920s, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Shore Mill War Memorial, erected early 1920s, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the community of employees of Shore Mill and the sacrifices they made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: an imposing and well-executed granite Latin cross.

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, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

Shore Mill War Memorial was erected by the employees of Shore Mill during the 1920s, to commemorate the sacrifice made by their fellow workers during the First World War. It is situated as the central focus of a sub-rectangular memorial garden, on the N side of Shore Road. Following the Second World War, the memorial was re-dedicated and additional names were added to the plinth. Shore Mill was demolished in 1990 and the council assumed responsibility for the war memorial in 1995.

Details

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

The memorial comprises a tall granite Latin cross with a raised central roundel containing a Tudor rose. The shaft of the cross has a tapering, rectangular section rising from a plain pedestal with canted sides, raised on a two-stepped chamfered plinth. The front face of the pedestal has a dedication in painted metal letters that reads ERECTED / BY THE EMPLOYEES / OF SHORE MILLS / TO THE MEMORY OF / THEIR FELLOW WORKMEN WHO / LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1919. The two side faces record the 56 names of the fallen of the First World War. A secondary dedication has been added to the S face of the top step of the plinth, which simply reads 1939 – 1945 and the seven names of the fallen of the Second World War are recorded at either end of the step.


This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 22 February 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 7 November 2016 from www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/13233
Rochdale, Littleborough Shore Mills, WW1 Memorials, accessed 7 November 2016 from www.mlfhs.org.uk/data/war_memorials_images.php?memorial=79
War Memorials Online, accessed 22 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/186138

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