Wigton, Woodside and Oulton War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, erected in 1920 with Second World War additions.

Reasons for Designation

Wigton, Woodside and Oulton War Memorial, erected in 1920, 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:

* an imposing and handsome memorial in the form of an obelisk crafted in polished red and grey granite;
* sculpted by Messrs Bower & Florence of Aberdeen, one of the most important granite firms in Aberdeen producing architectural work as well as cemetery monuments.

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. 

Wigton, Woodside and Oulton war memorial was erected in 1920 within Wigton Cemetery to commemorate 119 local servicemen. The site was donated by the Wigton Joint Burial Committee, and the memorial was designed by J Davison, the engineer and surveyor of Wigton, and made by Messrs Bower & Florence of Aberdeen. The latter were an Aberdeen-based firm of monumental sculptors formed between James Haddon Bower (1831-1901) and John Florence (1837-92) at the Spittal Granite Works. The firm became one of the most important granite firms in Aberdeen, producing architectural work as well as cemetery monuments. The cost of this memorial was £700, with a contribution from Oulton for four of its men to be included. The memorial was unveiled on 7 October 1920 by Mrs T Parkin Moore of Whitehall, Wigton. After the Second World War 33 additional names were added.

Details

First World War memorial, erected in 1920 with Second World War additions.

MATERIALS: Peterhead Quarry red granite and Toms Forest Quarry grey granite; Bronze

DESCRIPTION: this war memorial is situated within Wigton Cemetery, where it is prominently situated between a pair of cemetery chapels. It takes the form of a squat polished grey granite obelisk with a pink granite domed cap; there is a bronze wreath on each face at the top, with an incised Latin cross below each. It is set upon a pink granite plinth with a grey granite cap and foot. The plinth has scroll brackets at the four corners. The plinth stands on a two-tiered square stone base. The shaft and plinth bear the leaded inscriptions and read:

THIS MONUMENT/ COMMEMORATES THOSE WHO/ AT THE CALL OF KING AND/ COUNTRY, LEFT ALL THAT/ WAS DEAR TO THEM, ENDURED/ HARDNESS, FACED DANGER, AND/ FINALLY PASSED OUT OF THE/ SIGHT OF MEN ON THE PATH/ OF DUTY AND SELF-SACRIFICE,/ GIVING UP THEIR OWN LIVES/ THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE/ IN FREEDOM/ LET THOSE THAT COME/ AFTER SEE THAT THEIR/ NAMES ARE NOT FORGOTTEN/ 1914 – 1919/ the NAMES are arranged by rank, first and surname around all four faces of the plinth. ALSO THOSE/ WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ IN THE SECOND GREAT WAR/ 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES on the face of the obelisk).

Sources

Websites
Imperial War Museum Inventory, accessed 07-03-2019 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/4087
War Memorials Online, accessed 07-03-2019 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/118602/
The Second World War blog, 17 July 2014, ‘The War Memorial of Wigton, Cumbria, accessed 07-03-2019 from http://2ndww.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/the-war-memorial-of-wigton-cumbria.html
Glasgow City of Sculpure website: Bower and Florence, accessed 08-03-2019 from http://www.glasgowsculpture.com/pg_biography.php?sub=bower-florence

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