Park Road Methodist Church War Memorial
Darwen Cemetery, Bolton Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 2LS
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1457590
- Date first listed:
- 24-Jul-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Park Road Methodist Church War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Darwen Cemetery, Bolton Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 2LS
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1457590
- Date first listed:
- 24-Jul-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Park Road Methodist Church War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Darwen Cemetery, Bolton Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 2LS
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:
- Darwen Cemetery, Bolton Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 2LS
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Blackburn with Darwen (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Darwen
- National Grid Reference:
- SD6982720296
Summary
First World War memorial.
Reasons for Designation
Park Road Methodist Church War Memorial, which is situated in Darwen Cemetery on Bolton Road in Darwen, 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 sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* an evocative and well-executed stone pillar with relief-carved decorative details.
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 Darwen as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 15 members of the Park Road Methodist Church and Sunday School who lost their lives in the First World War.
Little is known about the history of the memorial, although it was originally located within the grounds of Park Road Methodist Church in Darwen. Following the closure of the church, the memorial was temporarily relocated to Whitehall Park in 2003 before being moved to its current location in Darwen Cemetery.
Details
Park Road Methodist Church War Memorial is located within Darwen Cemetery close to the entrance on Bolton Road. It stands opposite the Darwen CWGC Cross of Sacrifice.
The memorial takes the form of a rectangular stone pillar surmounted by a curved-headed corniced block with indented corners with egg and dart moulding. A serpent devouring itself with its tail in its mouth is carved in relief on the north face of the block representing the eternal cycle of destruction and re-birth. The pillar has recessed panels on the east and west faces and a stone plaque on the north face. The pillar rises from a deep two-stepped base. The north and south faces of the top step have a wreath carved in relief; within the wreath on the north face is incised PARK/ ROAD/ METHODIST/ CHURCH.
The north face of the pillar reads TO THE HONOURED MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF THIS CHURCH/ AND SUNDAY SCHOOL/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR./ 1914 – 1919/ (15 NAMES)/ “THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE”. The bottom step of the plinth bears the inscription CHRIST DIED FOR ALL MEN/ THESE DIED FOR OUR COUNTRY.
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 25 Oct 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/139026/
War Memorial Register, accessed 25 October 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/51319
Other
‘Soldiers save memorial to the fallen for town display’, Lancashire Evening Telegraph, (15 September 2007), p7
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 19-Jul-2026 at 03:01:40.
Download a full scale map (PDF)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.