Biddulph War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, erected 29 April 1922, with additions for later conflicts.

Reasons for Designation

Biddulph War Memorial, which is situated at the junction of Congleton Road and John Street, 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 local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* A well-executed memorial demonstrating fine craftsmanship with the sculpted figure of a soldier.

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. One such memorial was raised at Biddulph 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 at the junction of Congleton Road and John Street was the second memorial dedicated to the fallen of the First World War to be erected in Biddulph. The first memorial was built in the parish churchyard of St Lawrence’s Church in June 1921. The proposal for a second memorial to be erected within the town itself met with controversy as some thought having two memorials unnecessary. Despite this opposition, the plans went ahead and the second memorial was unveiled by Corporal J J Gibson on 29 April 1922.

Originally 73 names were listed on the memorial in dedication to those who died in service during the First World War. Subsequently a further nine names have been added relating to that conflict, as well as the names of those who died in the Second World War and later conflicts.

Metal railings were erected around the memorial at a later date.

Details

First World War memorial, 1922, with additions for later conflicts.

MATERIALS: granite, limestone sculpture.

DESCRIPTION: Biddulph War Memorial is located at the junction of Congleton Road and John Street at the centre of the town.

It takes the form of a limestone sculpture of a soldier leaning on a reversed rifle, with a jagged piece of rock carved behind the soldier. The rest of the memorial is of granite. The soldier stands upon a splayed base surmounting a square plinth with a cushion-cap and splayed foot. The whole rises from a chamfered block base. Two additional granite plaques have been affixed at an angle to the base of the memorial to the north-east and south-west sides.

The plinth and additional plaques carry the inscriptions and names in incised lettering, painted gold. The principal inscription is to the north-east face and reads TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN/ GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF THIS/ PARISH WHO FELL/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918. A further inscription reads THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE and is incised to the north-east face of the plinth foot. 73 names are listed beneath the principal inscription and on the remaining three sides of the plinth and relate to those who died in the First World War. The angled plaques also carry the names of those who died in the First World War and later conflicts. That to the north-east is inscribed 1939-1945/ (39 NAMES), while that to the south-west is inscribed 1914-18/ (9 NAMES)/ 1939-1945/ (10 NAMES)/ 2007 (NAME).

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: The memorial is enclosed by decorative metal railings*.

* Pursuant to s1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that these aforementioned features are not of special architectural or historic interest.


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, 31 January 2018.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 07 August 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/13568
Military Images.Net, accessed 08 August 2017 from https://www.militaryimages.net/media/biddulph-town-war-memorial-staffordfshire.51948/
War Memorials Online, accessed 31 January 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/209160

Other
Biddulph Urban Council, Staffordshire Advertiser, (12 March 1921), pp3
Biddulph War Memorial Unveiled, Staffordshire Advertiser, (06 May 1922), pp6

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