Moira War Memorial

Overview

Location

Summary

First World War memorial, erected in about 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Moira War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* for its accomplished and well-realised design in the form of an obelisk.

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; * for its association with the local collieries, and their specific commemoration of former employees.

History

The great age of memorial building was in the aftermath of the First World War which 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. The memorials, therefore, provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

Moira War Memorial, built in about 1920, was erected by local employers to commemorate their fallen colleagues and, is in essence, a corporate war memorial to the employees of the Moira Colliery Company Ltd., the Donisthorpe Colliery Company Ltd., and the Donington Sanitary Pipe and Fire Brick Company Ltd. The memorial lists the names and ranks of the 108 employees who died during the First World War.

There are two additional sloping plaques added to the stepped base of the memorial. These bear the names of an additional 26 men who died in the First World War and 12 who died in the Second World War.

In 2000 the memorial passed into the custodianship of the Ashby Woulds Town Council, and was renovated in time for its rededication as a war memorial for the village of Moira on 11 November 2000. The sloping plaques to the base of the monument may have been added as part of the renovations.

Details

First World War memorial, erected in about 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.

MATERIALS: carved from sandstone.

DESCRIPTION: prominently situated facing Bath Lane the memorial comprises a two-stepped square base surmounted by a pedestal supporting an obelisk, square in section, with a moulded base. To each side of the dado are raised panels with incised inscriptions, and there are additional angled sloped panels to the front steps of the base. To the riser of the bottom step has been added a brass plaque recording the memorial’s rededication.

The shaft of the obelisk is inscribed ‘1914 – 1918’.

The principal dedicatory inscription is inscribed to the front (north-east) face of the dado and reads:

TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY OF THE OFFICERS AND / MEN OF THE MOIRA COLLIERY COY. LTD., / THE DONISTHORPE COLLIERY COY. LTD., / THE DONINGTON SANITARY PIPE & FIRE BRICK COY. LTD., / WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR. / THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY THEIR EMPLOYERS / MOIRA COLLIERIES / (NAMES)

To the south-east face is inscribed:

CHURCH-GRESLEY COLLIERY / (NAMES)

To the rear (south-west) face is inscribed:

DONISTHORPE COLLIERY / (NAMES)

To the north-east face is inscribed:

DONISTHORPE COLLIERY / (NAMES) / THE DONINGTON SANITARY PIPE & FIRE BRICK COY. LTD / (NAMES)

The sloped stone plaque to the top step of the base is inscribed:

IN MEMORY OF / (NAMES) / WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919 / GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.

The sloped stone plaque to the bottom step of the base is inscribed:

IN MEMORY OF / (NAMES) / WHO FELL IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945 / GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.

The brass plaque added to the riser of the bottom step bears the inscription:

ORIGINALLY ERECTED BY / THE MOIRA COAL COMPANY TO COMMEMORATE / THOSE FORMER EMPLOYEES WHO GAVE / THEIR LIVES IN THE 1914 - 1918 WAR / HAVING PASSED INTO THE OWNERSHIP OF / THE ASHBY WOULDS TOWN COUNCIL THE / MONUMENT WAS UPGRADED AND RE-DEDICATED / AS A WAR MEMORIAL FOR THE VILLAGE OF / MOIRA ON 11TH NOVEMBER 2000.

Sources

Websites
Leicestershire County Council War Memorials Project: Obeslisk, Bath Lane - Moira, accessed 16 October 2019 from http://www.leicestershirewarmemorials.co.uk/war/memorials/view/809
Moira Colliery Company Ltd - WW1, accessed 16 October 2019 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/37866
Moria and Donisthrope Colliery, accessed 16 October 2019 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/196183/

Legal

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