Trentham Cross War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, erected in 1921, with later additions for the Second World War. Designed by Adams and Watkin of Stoke-on-Trent and built by Thomas Godwin.

Reasons for Designation

Trentham Cross War Memorial 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:

* it is an accomplished and well-realised Latin cross war memorial which displays good architectural detailing.

Group value:

* with the mausoleum (Grade I).

History

The great age of memorial building was in the aftermath of the First World War 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.

Trentham Cross War Memorial was paid for by the women of Trentham to commemorate the 17 men of the parish who had died during the First World War and was unveiled on the 2 October 1921 by Brigadier-General Sir Smith Hill Child, 2nd Baronet, MP. The war memorial was designed by the architectural practice Adams and Watkin of Stoke-on-Trent and built by Thomas Godwin. It lies about 22m to the south-west of the early-C19 mausoleum (Grade I) to the Marquis of Sutherland, later the Duke of Sutherland, and within the grounds of the cemetery.

Following the Second World War, an additional inscription was added along with the names of 10 men who had died in the conflict.

Details

First World War memorial, erected in 1921, with later additions for the Second World War. Designed by Adams and Watkin of Stoke-on-Trent and built by Thomas Godwin.

MATERIALS: carved from Stancliffe, also known as Darley Dale, stone.

DESCRIPTION: located to the south-west of the mausoleum (Grade I) within the cemetery on Stone Road the war memorial takes the form of a Latin cross and stands on a square platform of four steps. The pedestal has a square base rising through chamfered corners to form an octagon, and is surmounted by a tapered octagonal shaft with a Latin cross. The cross has octagonal arms with decorative ends.

The north-east face of the pedestal is inscribed:

THIS MEMORIAL CROSS / IS THE GIFT OF / THE WOMEN OF TRENTHAM.

The south-west face of the pedestal is inscribed:

1914-IN-1918 / GRATEFUL MEMORY / OF THE / MEN OF TRENTHAM / WHO FELL / IN THE GREAT WAR / (NAMES).

The south-east face of the pedestal is inscribed:

1939 TO 1945 / (NAMES) / JAMES PEARSON HOWSON 1914 – 1918.

Sources

Websites
Trentham Cross, accessed 14 August 2018 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/38445
Trentham War Memorial, accessed 14 August 2018 from http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMVKGA_Trentham_War_Memorial_Stoke_on_Trent_Staffordshire
Trentham World War One Project, accessed 14 August 2018 from http://trenthamwarmemorial.org.uk/

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.