The war memorial- WW1 memorial stone with 10 names was unveiled in 1924 by The Duchess of Devonshire and Revd. Derrick. The WW2 memorial stone with 2 names was unveiled by the Duke of Devonshire in 1945 – The wall was rebuilt and trees replanted in 1986. The memorial was listed, Grade ll, as a Building of Special Architectural or Historic Interest in 2009

History

1924 – The Memorial was erected. 

The plot of land was donated by the Bateman family of Hartington Hall.

The memorial was designed by William Smith “a Master Granite Worker” who did much granite work in the Church and was the nephew of the famous James Redfern Sculptor who was also from Hartington. 

The stones for the memorial came from Arbor Low quarry, and was donated by Bridge Dunn of Upper Oldhams Farm. This farm was originally part of the Middleton Estate – Bridge Dunn died in the 1960s- his daughter married into the Kirkham family of Vincent house

1924 – The official unveiling Ceremony by local Clergy/Dignitaries. Photograph

1945 – The memorial was altered, and the names of those who fell in the Second World War were added.

1986 – The lettering was retouched, the wall rebuilt and the trees planted to replace ones which had become overgrown and untidy.  12 trees were planted – one for each name on the memorial.

2009 – The memorial was listed as Grade II as a Building of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.

2023 – The overgrown trees around the memorial were replaced with new Juniper Trees, and the paving base reset.

Description

The memorial consists of 5 large boulders, the tallest standing upright at the rear of the site, like a headstone.  To the foot of this are 2 horizontal slabs, roughly squared, and on those are inclined 2 further slabs, each with a smooth worked face, on which the names of the fallen are inscribed.  The names of those lost in the First World War are recorded on the stone inclined against the tall headstone, with the Second World War memorial to the left-hand side.  The memorial stands on a slightly raised randomly paved platform with  stone kerbs defining its boundary, and with roughly shaped stone piers at either end of its frontage to the street.  Between these piers are wooden posts supporting chains.  The side and rear boundaries are formed drystone walls.

Grade II Listing

The memorial was Grade II Listed on the 6 October 2009 by English Heritage.

The principal reasons for the listing being: 

  • The monument commemorates those members of the community who died in the two World Wars.
  • The monument’s simple design of roughly-shaped limestone slabs reflects the nature of the upland limestone landscape in which the village of Hartington is located, and the stone quarrying and stone working traditions of the locality.

Inscriptions

Inscribed in upright capital roman lettering on the dressed faces of four of the blocks of limestone.

Upper Stone:                       Our Glorious Dead

Centre Stone:                      Names of fallen in the 1st World War (10)

Broomhead, Frank

  • Fyldes, Aubrey
  • Oliver, James
  • Oliver, Sidney
  • Oliver, Willliam Evelyn
  • Peach, Walter
  • Redfern, William
  • Shirley, Charles
  • Sutton, George Victor
  • Wardle, Joseph Frederick

 Lower Stone: – 1914 – 1918

 Left Stone: – 1939 – 1945 Names of fallen in 2nd World War (2)

  • Bailey, William
  • Bates, James William