Blaxton War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled 1 January 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Blaxton War Memorial, which is situated on Bank End Road, 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:

* as a well-executed obelisk 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 Blaxton as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the nine members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was unveiled on 1 January 1920 by Brigadier-General Sir Alington Bewicke Copley.

Following the Second World War, a dedication was added to commemorate the three Fallen of that conflict.

The memorial has been relocated at least once since it was constructed. The Ordnance Survey map published in 1964 indicates that the memorial was positioned further west at the junction of Mosham Road and the A614. It is probable that the memorial was moved to its current position when the road was widened at the junction. The memorial was in situ by 1981.

Details

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

DESCRIPTION: Blaxton War Memorial is located within a small enclosed garden at the north side of Bank End Road.

It is of York stone and takes the form of a small obelisk rising from a four-sided plinth. The plinth is surmounted by a four-sided, pedimented cap with moulded cornice beneath; to the centre of each pediment is a relief carved flower and foliate design. The plinth stands on a two-tiered moulded foot, which surmounts a narrow, square, single-stepped stone base. The dedication and names are in leaded lettering.

To the south face of the obelisk are the words THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918. Directly below, to the south face of the plinth is the dedication TO THE/ GLORIOUS MEMORY/ OF/ (9 NAMES). A further dedication is written on the south face of the upper-tier of the plinth foot and reads ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION/ IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF THE SUPREME/ SACRIFICE MADE BY THE MEN OF BLAXTON/ NAMED ABOVE.

To the west face of the obelisk are the words SECOND/ WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 45. Directly below, to the west face of the plinth are the three names of the casualties from this conflict.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 12 December 2017 from www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/28079
War Memorials Online, accessed 12 December 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/193369
Doncaster War Memorials, accessed 12 December 2017 from https://doncasterwarmemorials.weebly.com/blaxton.html

Other
OS Map 25" (1964 edn)
OS Map 25" (1981 edn)
‘Yorkshire News in Brief: Interesting Items from the Ridings’, Leeds Mercury, (2 January 1920), pp4

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.

Print the official list entry