Dove Holes War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 26 November 1927, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Dove Holes war memorial, which is situated to the west side of Hallsteads (A6), 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 wheel-head cross memorial.

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 Dove Holes as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

It was unveiled on 26 November 1927 by Colonel Goodman and dedicated by Dr Pearce, the Bishop of Derby. It cost £120 which was raised by public subscription. The memorial commemorates 36 local servicemen who died during the First World War. 

Following the Second World War, the names of the six servicemen who died during that conflict were added to the memorial.

In 2002 the memorial received grant funding from the War Memorials Trust for its repair and conservation. It was re-dedicated in 2003 following the repair work.

Details

First World War memorial, 1927, with later additions for the Second World War.

DESCRIPTION: Dove Holes War Memorial is located in a raised garden on an area of irregular paving on the west side of Hallsteads (A6).

It takes the form of a stone wheel-head cross, with cusped tracery to each segment of the wheel. This crowns an octagonal shaft with a square collar and moulded foot. The shaft rises from an octagonal chamfered plinth with a narrow, octagonal chamfered foot. The whole surmounts a two-stepped base.

The east face of the plinth carries the inscription, TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN/ MEMORY OF/ THOSE FROM/ THIS VILLAGE/ WHO SACRIFICED/ THEIR LIVES IN/ THE GREAT WAR. The other faces of the plinth carry the 36 names of the dead from the First World War, except for the north and north-west faces, which are blank, and the south-east face, which carries the six names relating to the Second World War. The east face of the plinth foot bears the dates 1914 – 1918, with the south-east face bearing the dates 1939 – 1945.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the memorial stands within a raised site with a regular-coursed stone retaining wall with flat copings to the east side, which has a set of steps at its centre leading up to the memorial. The retaining wall terminates in small, rectangular piers with flat, stone caps to either side of the steps. To the rear of the memorial is a curved section of hedging, behind which is a low stone wall. Metal railings*, which were added at a later date, are attached to the copings of the retaining wall; metal handrails* are affixed to the wall either side of the steps.

* 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.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 6 September 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/55696
War Memorials Online, accessed 6 September 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/135071
War Memorials Trust, accessed 6 September 2017 from http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=254

Other
‘Unveiling of Dove Holes War Memorial’, Sheffield Daily Telegraph, (28 November 1927), pp4

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