Eskdale War Memorial
Junction of Valley Road with Stanley Ghyll Force Road, Eskdale, Copeland, Cumbria, CA19 1TF
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1441555
- Date first listed:
- 14-Jun-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Eskdale War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Junction of Valley Road with Stanley Ghyll Force Road, Eskdale, Copeland, Cumbria, CA19 1TF
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1441555
- Date first listed:
- 14-Jun-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Eskdale War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Junction of Valley Road with Stanley Ghyll Force Road, Eskdale, Copeland, Cumbria, CA19 1TF
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Junction of Valley Road with Stanley Ghyll Force Road, Eskdale, Copeland, Cumbria, CA19 1TF
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Cumberland (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Eskdale
- National Park:
- Lake District
- National Grid Reference:
- NY1713400560
Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled 1920, with further names added after the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Eskdale War Memorial 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: an elegant and striking granite wheel-head 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, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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.
One such memorial was raised at Eskdale as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 68 members of the local community who served during the First World War, of whom 14 died. It was made by the builder Thomas Preston, and unveiled on 16 May 1920 and dedicated by the Bishop of Barrow.
When the Second World War names were added, the memorial was re-dedicated on 10 April 1949 and unveiled by James D Porter who had lost a daughter, Ellie, whilst she served in the Women’s Land Army in the First World War. She died in an accident at Henhull Training Farm, Nantwich, Cheshire on 4 February 1918 aged 19. Ellie Porter’s name appears first on the memorial.
The memorial was refurbished in 2013 and the perimeter railings were replaced with dry stone walls.
Details
MATERIALS: Granite.
DESCRIPTION: The memorial is located at a road junction between Boot and Dalegarth in Eskdale. It comprises a wheel-head cross decorated with carved circles around a central boss in the cross-head and surmounting a rectangular tapered shaft. The front face is inscribed THESE FELL/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ 1914 – 1918/ (14 NAMES)/ 1939 – 1945/ (4 NAMES). The other faces are inscribed similarly THESE SERVED/ IN THE FORCES/ 1914 – 1918/ (54 NAMES). The shaft is set upon a single-stepped base.
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, 3 July 2017.
Sources
Websites
Ellie Porter, accessed 9 Nov 2016 from http://www.eskdalebenefice.org.uk/ellieporter.html
War Memorials Register, accessed 9 November 2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/3954
War Memorials Online, accessed 3 July 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/170229
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 05-Jun-2026 at 19:42:06.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.