Memorial details

Memorial type
Cenotaph
District
Allerdale
Town
Keswick
County
Cumbria
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945)
Ceremony
  • Planted
    Date: 24 Sep 1921
    Attended by: Viscount Ullswater
  • Unveiled
    Date: 9th Nov 1947
    Attended by: Mr FJ Aston (WW1 soldier) & Mr Edwin Evans (2nd son of Sergt Walter Evans) of the Blencathra Hotel, Keswick
  • Dedicated
    Date: 21st May 1922
    Attended by: Revd CH Lewin, Vicar of St John's Church
  • Unveiled
    Date: 21st May 1922
    Attended by: Lord Rochdale & Mr Walter Swinburn
  • Show More (3)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
2206

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Current location

County Square
Keswick
Allerdale
Cumbria
CA12 4NB
England

OS Grid Ref: NY 26815 23492
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Step surmounted by broad pedestal and cenotaph with pedimented top. Large honister slate tablet commemorating WW1 dead placed on the front face of the pedestal and two smaller tablets commemorating WW2 dead placed on the left and right hand sides. Relief of Victory in classical costume with sword on the front face of the cenotaph. During 2016, as part of post Storm Desmond reconstruction work (December 2015), new cast iron railings have been added to the rear of the cenotaph area. On the rear of the memorial is a bronze plaque commemorating staff of the Cockermouth Keswick and Penrith Railway Company which was installed here following the closure of the nearby railway station in 1972 (see WMR 3996).
Inscription
6 OCLOCK FACE: TO KEEP FRESH THE MEMORY/ OF OUR BRAVE MEN WHO FELL/ IN THE GREAT WARS/ (NAMES) 3 AND 9 OCLOCK FACE: 1939 - 1945/ (NAMES) Railings-1914 1919 1939 1945
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Abbott, A
Aitchison, Je
Atkinson, T V
Bateson, G
Bertram, R
Birkbeck, C W
Birkett, J
Birkett, S
Blamire, G
Blamire, J
See details for all 160 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 109
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 109
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname, initials of forenames
    Order of information: surname alphabetical order
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 51
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 51
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname and initials of forenames
    Order of information: surname
Components
  • Second World War memorial
    Measurements: depth 30mm, height 700mm, width 590mm
    Materials: Slate
  • Tablet
    Measurements: depth 15mm, height 200mm, width 440mm
    Materials: Slate
  • Tablet
    Measurements: depth 15mm, height 200mm, width 790mm
    Materials: Slate
  • Fence/ Railing
    Measurements: depth 40mm, height 890mmm, width 10900mm
    Materials: Cast Iron
  • Pedestal
    Measurements: depth 1025mm, height 950mm, width 2190mm
    Materials: Granite
  • Steps
    Measurements: depth 1130mm, height 200mm, width 2410mm
    Materials: Granite
  • Base
    Measurements: depth 1450mm, height 30mm, width 2950mm
    Materials: Granite
  • Plinth
    Measurements: depth 970mm, height 2850mm, width 1320mm
    Materials: Granite
  • First World War memorial
    Measurements: depth 25mm, height 900mm, width 1470mm
    Materials: Slate
  • Tree
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Undefined
Listing information
  • Keswick War Memorial
  • Grade II
  • This memorial is protected, and listed on the National Heritage List for England maintained by Historic England. View list entry
  • More about listing and the protection of historic places can be found on the Historic England website
  • Historic England
Condition
Costs

Site: Donated, 1923, by the Wivell family (See WMR 9017)
Comments: The WW2 plaques were by public subscription, through the Keswick War Service Appreciation Fund-one of the purposes of this fund which raised money in 1944-1945.
Memorial: c£2,500

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Details: All the money was raised by public subscription. The appeal for the original estimated £4,000 cost was launched in June 1919. In the first week alone £950 was raised. There are weekly updates in the local newspaper 'The Keswick Reminder' detailing every contribution small and large. During the summer contributions dried up and the scheme was shelved in November 1919 (formerly in January 1920) when £1890/2/- had been raised. This scheme included provision for the education and maintenance of the circa 30 children of the town left fatherless, throughout their childhood, a grand carnival on the lake including flares from the local mountain, Skiddaw, a peace medal for each child of the town, and a grand homecoming meal for returning soldiers, sailors and airmen. The carnival and the peace medal were abandoned. The peace meal was fundraised for separately and held on 12 Feb 1920 at a cost of around £165. The occassion included a 'Smoking Concert'. The memorial scheme itself cost around £2,500 and was not restarted until October 1921 (part of the cause of the delay was that the sculptor became involved in other work after the 1919/1920 postponement. The educational scheme invested money for each war orphan with the interest to be used to aid the instruction of the children. Grants were to be made from the Capital either for each child to attend a Secondary School or to be apprenticed or for any other purpose that will further its educational interests. The trusteees represented the town, the Council and the schools.
Responsibility
Keswick Town Council
Reference
  • Carter Postcard Collection
  • blackcablondon.net/2013/10/13/ww1-100-londons-memorials-the-machine-gun-corps-the-man-who-mended-faces/ (for more on Francis Derwent Wood)
  • West Cumberland Times 24/5/1922 page 1f-h for clarification on the education scheme
  • Carlisle Journal 16/8/1921 page 5c for the exact location of the Verdun Tree
  • Planting of the tree- West Cumberland Times 17th August 1921 page 4 (refers to it as Oak) and the Keswick Reminder 16th September 1921 page 4 (refers to it as a Chestnut)
  • Many editions of 'The Keswick Reminder' newspaper between 6 June 1919 and 19 May 1922- the newspaper is indexed from 1915 to 1923, which is available on the Cumbria Archives website.
  • 'The Keswick Reminder' newspaper is indexed from 1 Sep 1939 to 31 Dec 1955 and will be available on the Cumbria Archives website from late February 2017
  • Book-Keswick in the Great War by Ruth Mansergh (published Pen & Sword, 2016)
  • West Cumberland Times 12/11/1947 page 4e
  • Whitehaven News 25/2/1926 page 7b for an obituary of Derwent Wood RA
  • Keswick Reminder 4/2/1949 page 3c for the death of Wilfrid G Haworth FRSA (1886-1949), a professional photographer who served in that capacity in WW1, was badly gassed and lay in no-mans land for over 12 hours. He became well klnown especially for his Lake District Photography
  • Roedean School Shield at Keswick-2ndww.blogspot.co.uk/2007/12/roedean-school-shield-keswick-cumbria.html
  • Roedean School Photograph at Keswick-2ndww.blogspot.co.uk/2007/12/roedean-school-at-keswick-war-years.html

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

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