War memorial to Private Fairless, Limestone Brae burial ground
Limestone Brae burial ground, Carrshield, West Allen, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 8AL
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1441606
- Date first listed:
- 14-Feb-2017
- List Entry Name:
- War memorial to Private Fairless, Limestone Brae burial ground
- Statutory Address:
- Limestone Brae burial ground, Carrshield, West Allen, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 8AL
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1441606
- Date first listed:
- 14-Feb-2017
- List Entry Name:
- War memorial to Private Fairless, Limestone Brae burial ground
- Statutory Address 1:
- Limestone Brae burial ground, Carrshield, West Allen, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 8AL
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:
- Limestone Brae burial ground, Carrshield, West Allen, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 8AL
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Northumberland (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- West Allen
- National Grid Reference:
- NY7933349962
Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled 1920.
Reasons for Designation
The war memorial to Private Fairless in Limestone Brae burial ground, West Allen, 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 made in the First World War;
* Architectural interest: a simple yet poignant memorial 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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised in the Limestone Brae burial ground, West Allendale, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by Private Joseph Fairless of West Allen who lost his life in the First World War.
The memorial, made by Creswell of Hexham, was unveiled on 9 October 1920 by Colonel LC Lockhart. The dedication service was conducted by Reverend T Nevison in the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel c300m to the south-east of the cemetery. The memorial was erected by the parishioners of West Allen in memory of Private JW Fairless of the 12th/13th Northumberland Fusiliers, son of Mr and Mrs Fairless of Nook Farm. Fairless died aged 24 on 15 December 1917 and is buried at Tincourt New British Cemetery, France.
Details
The memorial stands in the burial ground to the south-west side of the road through West Allendale, c300m to the north-west of the former Methodist Church (Grade II-listed). It takes the form of a small stone floriated cross that stands on a three-stage base. The monogram HIS is carved in low relief at the centre of the cross head.
To the foot of the cross shaft the dedication begins OUR/ GLORIOUS/ DEAD, continues on the front face of the upper stage of the base ERECTED BY THE INHABITANTS/ OF WEST ALLEN/ TO THE MEMORY OF/ PTE. J.W. FAIRLESS 12/13 N.F. and ends on the middle stage WHO FELL IN ACTION IN FRANCE/ DURING THE GREAT EUROPEAN WAR/ 1914-1918. The inscription GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT/ A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS is recorded on the bottom stage. The texts are in applied metal letters.
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, 23 November 2017.
Sources
Websites
North East War Memorials Project, accessed 17/11/2016 from http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=9260
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, casualty database, accessed 17/11/2016 from http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/255480/FAIRLESS,%20JOSEPH%20WILLIAM
War Memorials Register, accessed 22 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/67912
War Memorials Online, accessed 23 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/253751
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 10-Jun-2026 at 22:11:26.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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