Alsagers Bank War Memorial

High Street, Alsagers Bank, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

First World War memorial of 1924, with later additions for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1467351
Date first listed:: 10-Dec-2019
List Entry Name:: Alsagers Bank War Memorial
Statutory Address:: High Street, Alsagers Bank, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1467351
Date first listed:: 10-Dec-2019
List Entry Name:: Alsagers Bank War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: High Street, Alsagers Bank, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: High Street, Alsagers Bank, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Staffordshire
District:: Newcastle-under-Lyme (District Authority)
Parish:: Audley Rural
National Grid Reference:: SJ8033748842

Summary

First World War memorial of 1924, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Alsagers Bank War Memorial of 1924 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 community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest: * as a thoughtfully-designed war memorial in the form of an obelisk.

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, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and 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 Alsagers Bank as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 48 men from Alsagers Bank, Halmerend, Miles Green, Apedale and Scot Hay who died in the conflict. A public meeting was held in December 1921 to ‘consider the proposal of the Executive Committee with respect to a war memorial for the Halmerend ward’. The memorial, which is also known as Halmerend War Memorial, was designed and made by WH Royals of Burslem; the cost met from public subscription. It was unveiled by Captain Edwards-Heathcote of nearby Apedale Hall on 20 September 1924.

The names of those who lost lives during the Second World War, including a female civilian who died during a bombing raid on the Rolls-Royce Works in Crewe in 1940, were subsequently added to the memorial.

The memorial was repaired with a grant from War Memorials Trust in 2016.

Details

First World War memorial of 1924, with later addition for the Second World War.

DESCRIPTION The memorial stands within a square enclosure cut into the slope on the edge of St John’s churchyard. It is carved from Hollington stone and takes the form of an obelisk and a tapered, square pedestal which rises from a moulded base and stands upon a base of four steps and a concrete platform. Above the pedestal is a deep, projecting cornice with egg and dart moulding below, and rising from this is a squat, tapered shaft with relief carvings of a laurel wreath and two rosettes on each face and a pyramidal cap. The south-west face of the shaft also has an inscription in black lettering which reads: 1914–1918/ FOR OUR/ GLORIOUS DEAD. The cornice below is inscribed: 1939-1945 and a panel on the pedestal reads: FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH/ (NAMES). The side returns record the names of the fallen from the First World War and the cornices are inscribed: 1914-1918. The rear face of the pedestal is inscribed: THEY DIED THAT/ WE MIGHT LIVE; the cornice is inscribed: 1914-1918.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES The war memorial is surrounded by stone balustrade posts, one inscribed with the stonemasons’ surname, linked by chains.

Sources

Websites
Alsagers Bank, War Memorials Online , accessed 14 October 2019 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/193713/
Halmerend – WW1 and WW2, War Memorials Register, accessed 14 October 2019 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/68674
Other
Halmerend War Memorial, The Staffordshire Advertiser, Saturday 27 September 1924, p11
Halmerend War Memorial, The Staffordshire Sentinel, Tuesday 23 September 1924

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.