Thornton Hough War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, 1921, based on a sketch design by Ernest Prestwich, built by James Lomax-Simpson.

Reasons for Designation

Thornton Hough 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 during the First World War.

Architectural interest:

* the design, based on a sketch by Ernest Prestwich and built by James Lomax-Simpson, is elegant and well-detailed;

* it is a well-executed war memorial employing good quality materials and craftsmanship.

Group value:

* has a spatial group value with the Grade II* listed Church of St George and numerous other listed buildings within the village.

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 Thornton Hough as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 17 members of the local community, who lost their lives in the First World War.

The design of the memorial was based on a sketch design by Ernest Prestwich and built by Mr James Lomax-Simpson. It was unveiled on 23 April 1921 by Lord Leverhulme, at a service attended by a number of dignitaries, the secretary of the memorial committee and conducted jointly by the vicar, Reverend HA Bull and the Reverend TL Burrows, minister of the Congregational Church. The psalms and hymns were sung by a joint choir and were accompanied by the village band. In 2002 the memorial was conserved with grant aid from War Memorials Trust.

Details

First World War memorial, 1921, based on a sketch design by Ernest Prestwich, built by James Lomax-Simpson.

MATERIALS: Darley Dale stone, red sandstone, and bronze.

DESCRIPTION: Thornton Hough War Memorial stands within the apex of the churchyard of the Grade II* listed Church of St George (United Reformed). The memorial takes the form of a slender wheel-headed cross. The cross is aligned east to west with arms formed by recessed panels, and the wheel segments and the cross intaglio are carved with a Celtic knot design. The cross is mounted on a tall tapering shaft, with a stepped cap, chamfered corners and a moulded base. The shaft rises from a two-stepped plinth on a three-stepped base. The east and west faces of the shaft each have a rectangular inset close to the top, containing a carved Celtic knot design similar to that on the cross. A rectangular bronze plaque at the foot of the east face of the shaft bears the inscription TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN GRATEFUL/ MEMORY OF THE MEN/ OF THIS PARISH WHO/ LAID DOWN THEIR/ LIVES IN THE GREAT/ WAR 1914 – 1918/ (NAMES). The D-plan podium is laid in Darley Dale stone slabs and is enclosed by a low stepped red sandstone wall, with a central opening through which the memorial is reached via pairs of shallow convex and concave steps.

Sources

Websites
Imperial War Museum War Memorial Register - Thornton Hough War Memorial, accessed 7 June 2019 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/1268
War Memorials Online - Thornton Hough, accessed 7 June 2019 from http://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/121244

Other
Cheshire Observer, Saturday 30 April 1921, Page 11 - Thornton Hough War Memorial

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.

Print the official list entry