Kirkby Stephen War Memorial
Market Square, Market Street, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, CA17 4QT
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1457753
- Date first listed:
- 22-Aug-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Kirkby Stephen War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Market Square, Market Street, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, CA17 4QT
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1457753
- Date first listed:
- 22-Aug-2018
- List Entry Name:
- Kirkby Stephen War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Market Square, Market Street, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, CA17 4QT
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:
- Market Square, Market Street, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, CA17 4QT
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Westmorland and Furness (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Kirkby Stephen
- National Grid Reference:
- NY7751208730
Summary
First World War memorial, 1920, with Second World War additions.
Reasons for Designation
Kirkby Stephen War Memorial, which is situated in the Market Square 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:
* as a simple but well-executed sandstone cross pattée.
Group value:
* with the numerous Grade II-listed buildings around the Market Square, including 23 and 25 Market Square, Mitre House, Shop to North of Mitre House and Shop to North-East Corner.
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 Kirkby Stephen as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Kirkby Stephen War Memorial commemorates 48 local servicemen who fell in the First World War and 12 men who fell in the Second World War.
Four different war memorial schemes were proposed as early as March 1919. The chosen design was by Messrs Hicks and Charlewood, and it was executed by Lancelot Harrison of Kirkby Stephen. In April 1920 it was approved that the Thompson fountain could be moved from the Market Square to make room for the war memorial. By 8 July 1920, the memorial had been unveiled by General Sir Arthur Wynne KCB and was dedicated on the same date by Chancellor Campbell, Archdeacon of Carlisle.
The memorial was rededicated 11 March 1967 after damage during a severe storm in 1966.
Details
First World War memorial, 1920.
MATERIALS: Lazonby sandstone; bronze.
DESCRIPTION: Kirkby Stephen War Memorial is located in the Market Square, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria. It is prominently situated at the heart of the settlement. It comprises a Lazonby sandstone cross pattée variant on a tapering shaft, octagonal plinth and three-tiered octagonal base. The plinth bears the inscriptions on bronze panels with white-painted lettering. The Second World War plaques were added around the uppermost riser edges of the tiered base.
The inscription reads TO/ OUR/ GLORIOUS/ DEAD/ 1914 – 1919// (NAMES)// 1939 –1945/ (NAMES).
Sources
Websites
War Memorial Register, accessed 2 April 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/513
War Memorials Online, accessed 2 April 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/182732/
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 05-Jun-2026 at 10:29:04.
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.