Brunner Mond Sandbach Works War Memorial

Summary

A First World War memorial of 1921, relocated in 1934, by Darcy Braddell for Brunner Mond.

Reasons for Designation

The Brunner Mond Sandbach War Memorial, a First World War memorial of 1921 relocated in 1934, 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:

* for its good design by the notable architect Darcy Braddell, in the form of a Renaissance-style panel with classical detailing, and later mounted to a pylon of sympathetic design.

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.

In order to preserve the memory of those who had given their lives for their country, the directors of Brunner, Mond & Co (Brunner Mond), commissioned Darcy Braddell to design memorials for each of their works and offices, inscribed with the names of the Fallen from that site. The names on each of these site-specific memorials were also included on the memorial at the company’s main works at Winnington (Northwich, Cheshire). A photo taken around 1921 shows the Sandbach memorial at the time of the unveiling, which was led by Roscoe Brunner, the son of John Brunner, one of the company’s founders. It is not known why the memorial was attached to a building and of a Renaissance design, while all of the other memorials were freestanding and in a purer Classical style. In 1934 the Sandbach works were closed down, and the memorial was moved to its current site in the municipal cemetery and attached to the purpose-built stone pylon.

Brunner Mond was founded as a private partnership in 1873 and became a public company in 1881. The company made soda ash for the cotton industry, by the new (Solvay) ammonia-soda process, which they introduced to this country. During the First World War the firm manufactured half of the high explosives used by Britain on every front, at lower profit than was offered by the Government. 2,688 of their employees served in the war, and 291 perished. This included sixteen men and two women who were killed in a huge TNT explosion at the Silvertown works in London in 1917. In 1926 Brunner Mond merged with three other British chemical companies to form Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), an organisation that grew to become one of the world's largest and most successful companies. The Brunner Mond name lives on as a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals Ltd.

Thomas Arthur Darcy Braddell (1884-1970) was articled to Sir Ernest George, who also tutored Sir Edwin Lutyens. He had an extensive Arts and Crafts domestic practice in partnership with Humphry Deane, as Deane & Braddell. He was admitted to ARIBA in 1920 under the war exemption scheme, and elected Fellow in 1922. He wrote 'How to Look at Buildings' in 1932. He designed the Mond family mausoleum (National Heritage List for England (NHLE) entry 1359069) in St Pancras and Islington Cemetery, as well as the War Memorials at Brunner Mond’s works at Winnington (NHLE 1432698), Silvertown (NHLE 1387182), Northwich (Lostock Gralam) and Middlewich. He also designed Blacko War Memorial.

Details

First World War memorial of 1921, relocated in 1934, by Darcy Braddell for Brunner Mond.

MATERIALS: red sandstone pylon and white limestone panel, with bronze fixtures.

PLAN: rectangular pylon with indents at each corner.

DESCRIPTION: standing in a small area of planting on a circular green at the centre of the cemetery, terminating views up the entrance road.

The original memorial comprises a limestone panel on the east front, in Renaissance style with projecting cornice and sill, a central semi-circular pediment, and pilasters at either side with egg-and-dart abacuses. This is supported by a pair of bold curlicues. A central plaque between the pilasters is eared at the lower corners, while the upper corners are shouldered with pendant garlands. It is inscribed with incised letters filled in black:

TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY OF/ THE MEN FROM THESE WORKS/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 TO 1919/

Below this are listed ten names of the Fallen, listed alphabetically by surname and with their unit beneath, but no ranks. Below the plaque is a bronze pair of crossed palm leaves. The pediment is carved with rays of heavenly light in bold relief, with a bronze laurel wreath and further palm leaves in front. Either side of the pediment are flaming bronze torches.

The 1934 pylon is approximately 12 feet high, 7 feet wide and 2 feet thick, and of coursed ashlar blocks. It has slightly-battered sides, a stepped top, pyramidal cap and vertical pilasters on each side return, with a two-stepped base of the same plan. Attached to the front of the bottom step is a bronze tablet with the following inscription in relief:

THIS MEMORIAL WAS ORIGINALLY/ ERECTED AT THE SANDBACH WORKS OF/ BRUNNER MOND & CO. LIMITED/ AND WAS REMOVED TO THIS SITE/ IN 1934 OWING TO THE CLOSING DOWN/ OF THOSE WORKS

Sources

Books and journals
Watts, JI, The First Fifty Years Of Brunner, Mond & Co, (1923), 63-67

Websites
Public Monuments and Sculpture Association entry, accessed 29/01/18 from http://www.pmsa.org.uk/pmsa-database/5117/
Imperial War Museums entry, accessed 29/01/18 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/13082
Dictionary of Scottish Architects entry for Thomas Arthur Darcy Braddell, accessed 29/01/18 from http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=100234
Grace's Guide to British Industrial History information on Brunner Mond, accessed 29/01/18 from http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Brunner,_Mond_and_Co
Yorkshire Regiment website entry for one of the Fallen, accessed 12/02/18 from http://www.ww1-yorkshires.org.uk/html-files/sandbach-brunner-mond-works.htm

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