Memorial details

Memorial type
Clock or clock tower
District
Staffordshire Moorlands
Town
Leek
County
Staffordshire
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 20 August 1925
    Attended by: Lieutenant General Sir Charles Harrington GBE, KCB, DSO (General Officer Commanding-Northern Command)
  • Rededicated
    Date: 2 September 2005
    Attended by: Local Clergy/Dignitaries
  • Dedicated
    Date: 6 November 1949
    Attended by: Rev. N. W. Watson (Vicar and Rural Dean of Leek)
  • Unveiled
    Date: 6 November 1949
    Attended by: Air Marshal Sir John W. Jones, K.C.B., C.B.E., Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Technical Training Command.
  • Dedicated
    Date: 20 August 1925
    Attended by: Lionel Payne Crawford-Lord Bishop of Stafford
  • Show More (4)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
13742

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Current location

At crossroads outside the Smithfield Centre.
Nicholson War Memorial
Derby Street
Leek
Staffordshire Moorlands
Staffordshire
ST13 6HY
England

OS Grid Ref: SJ 98707 56494
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Large clock tower with pyramid roof, enclosed by six foot stone wall which has openings with steps leading up to the tower. WW1 inscription and names on plaques at base of tower. WW2 names on two plaques beside steps. 4 Additional plaques have been added.
Inscription
ERECTED BY SIR ARTHUR AND LADY NICHOLSON/ TO THE PERPETUAL HONOUR AND CHERISHED MEMORY OF THEIR SON/ LIEUTENANT BASIL LEE NICHOLSON, ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY/ WHO FELL IN ACTION NEAR YPRES, BELGIUM, 24 JULY 1915/ AND TO ALL THE GALLANT SONS OF LEEK/ AND OF THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBOURHOOD WHOSE LIVES WERE/ SO BRAVELY SACRIFICED IN FIGHTING FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ DURING THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918 ALL HONOUR GIVE TO THOSE WHO NOBLY STRIVING/ NOBLY FELL THAT WE MIGHT LIVE/ (NAMES) IN COMMEMORATION OF THE MEN OF LEEK. WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE WORLD WAR 1939 - 1945/ (NAMES) Smaller Plaque 1: ALSO DIED IN/ SERVICE/ 1945 - 1947/ (Names)/ DEDICATED 2005 Smaller Plaque 2: ALSO FELL/ 1939 - 1945/ (Names)/ DEDICATED 2005 Smaller Plaque 3: ALSO FELL/ 1939 - 1945/ (Names)/ DEDICATED 2014 Smaller Plaque 4: ALSO/ IN MEMORY OF/ ALBERT CARDING/ DIED IN LEEK/ 11.3.1941/ AS A DIRECT RESULT/ OF ENEMY ACTION
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Ager, R H
Ainsworth, J W
Alcock, U
Allard, S N
Allsop, J S
Arrowsmith, E
Ashley, W A
Ashworth, H
Astles, A
Astles, F
See details for all 520 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 421
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 421
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Surname, initials of forenames, decorations
    Order of information: surname
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 99
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 99
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname, initials of forenames, decorations
    Order of information: surname
Components
  • Second World War memorial
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Bronze
  • First World War memorial
    Measurements: height 3FT 6IN, width 4FT 6IN
    Materials: Bronze
  • Plaque
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Bronze
  • Tower
    Measurements: height 80FT
    Materials: Stone - Portland
  • Clock
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Undefined
Listing information
  • 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
History
2011: Completion of the cleaning of the memorial and re-setting of stone flags around it. The process took 16 weeks at a cost of £206,000; March 2010: a seven and a half minute film featuring interviews with veterans will form part of a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund which gave a £178,000 grant.; August 2009: Clock battery circuit board and rechargeable battery in need of replacement. Council agreed to pay £548 for repairs to the clock. £10,000 has been secured from English Heritage for tower restoration project. Whole project now estimated at £100,000. Leek Council has committed to raising the funds and also £1,200 for disabled access around the memorial. ; March 2009: Leek Town Council is seeking funding for the repair and renovation of the memorial. They have announced a package of improvements which are estimated to cost £150,000 and which are part of a larger project for the memorial with an overall cost of £250,000. The Council is investigating grants from Heritage bodies and also seeking public donations.; 1999: Floodlit; 1995: REFURBISHED (COST £20,000). The area chosen was once the site of the old cattle market which operated from 1827 until 1874.
Costs

Comments: Memorial was paid for by Sir Arthur Nicholson and his wife, Lady Nicholson in memory of their son, Basil Lee Nicholson.
Memorial: £16,000

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Private
Responsibility
Leek Town Council. The deeds to the land and the building were handed over at the unveiling ceremony.
Reference
  • Local Publication/Booklet p2-3 Leek U3A Magazine, Edition 29, Autumn 2011
  • Carter Postcard Collection
  • War Memorials Trust WM1602 www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=93
  • Other website www.nicholsonmemorial.org.uk/Navigation/Links/Links.html
  • Staffordshire Advertiser - Saturday 22 August 1925 www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000252/19250822/149/0009 LEEK'S MAGNIFICIENT WAR MEMORIAL. NICHOLSON CLOCK TOWER UNVEILED BY GENERAL HARRINGTON. AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY.
  • Staffordshire Sentinel - Wednesday 19 August 1925 www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000347/19250819/048/0002 THE NICHOLSON WAR MEMORIAL. Clock Tower Presented to Leek. To-morrow's Unveiling Ceremony.
  • Staffordshire Advertiser - Saturday 22 August 1925 www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000252/19250822/071/0004 LEEK WAR MEMORIAL UNVEILING (picture)
  • Staffordshire Sentinel - Monday 7 November 1949- Memorial Plaques Dedicated at Leek Service of Remembrance - MOVING CEREMONY AT THE MONUMENT-Salute Taken by Air Marshal Sir John W. Jones
  • Leaflet: ' A Guide to the Nicholson War Memorial'
  • Leek Post and Times 09 April 1997 Article about vandalism to memorial.
  • Leek Post and Times 05 November 1997 History of memorial.
  • The Sentinel 12 November 1999 Article about floodlighting memorial.
  • Moorlands Trader September 2000 Article about publication of book on WWII names.
  • Leek Post and Times 28 January 2009 Article about tender for restoration project.
  • Leek Post and Times 25 March 2009 Article announcing Council's fundraising initiative to renovate memorial.
  • Leek Post and Times 24 / 05 August 2009 Photograph of Leek before and after the memorial was erected.
  • Leek Post and Times 8 / 05 August 2009 Details of restoration fundraising project
  • Leek Post and Times 12 August 2009 Announcing plans for Victory over Japan 64th anniversary ceremony at memorial on 15th August 2009.
  • Leek Post and Times 19 August 2009 Photo of the memorial c 1960. Also article on Leek By the Sea event which included making a postcard of the memorial as a sandcastle.
  • Leek Post and Times 3rd March 2010 Article about the film submission for HLF funding

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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