Memorial details

Memorial type
Obelisk
District
Copeland
Town
Distington
County
Cumbria
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945)
Maker
MESSRS BEATTIE & CO (Mason)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 16 April 1921
    Attended by: Major C A Valentine TD
  • Dedicated
    Date: 16 April 1921
    Attended by: Revd T Foster Edwards
  • Show More (1)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
4031

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Current location

just south of the southern junction of the B5306 and Main Street
Distington
Copeland
Cumbria
CA14 5XP
England

OS Grid Ref: NY 00530 22954
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Five stepped base surmounted by a Plinth with cornice and an obelisk. The inscription is on the sides of the plinth- WW1 inscription on 3 faces, and WW2 inscription on 12 o'clock face. The salutation is on base level 5 on the 6 o'clock face. There is a sheathed sword carved in relief on base level 2 of the 6 o'clock face
Inscription
6 OCLOCK FACE: ERECTED BY THE INHABITANTS OF/ THIS PARISH TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ (NAMES)/ "SALUTE THE GLORIOUS DEAD WHO/ WENT OUT AND RETURNED NOT"/ 1914-1918 3 OCLOCK FACE: (NAMES)
Inscription legible?
no
Names on memorial
Armstrong, Joseph H
Bainbridge, George
Banks, Joseph
Banks, Joseph
Banks, Thomas
Bell, James
Bell, John
Bell, Robert
Bewlay, Joseph
Birkett, Peter Robert Ritson
See details for all 74 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 53
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 53
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: regiment, forenames, decorations, surname
    Order of information: regiment THEN surname
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 21
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 21
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname, regiment, forenames, decorations
    Order of information: regiment THEN surname
Components
  • Plinth
    Measurements: depth 600mm, height 1400mm, width 600mm
    Materials: Granite - Aberdeen
  • Base
    Measurements: depth 1830mm, height 140mm, width 1830mm
    Materials: Granite - Aberdeen
  • Steps
    Measurements: depth 1530mm, height 150mm, width 1530mm
    Materials: Granite - Aberdeen
  • Steps
    Measurements: depth 1230mm, height 160mm, width 1230mm
    Materials: Granite - Aberdeen
  • Steps
    Measurements: depth 760mm, height 280mm, width 760mm
    Materials: Granite - Aberdeen
  • Steps
    Measurements: depth 920mm, height 300mm, width 920mm
    Materials: Granite - Aberdeen
  • Obelisk
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Granite - Aberdeen
Listing information
  • Distington 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
1992: MEMORIAL CLEANED & LETTERING REPAIRED
Costs

Site: £7/10/6
Comments: Of the £420 cost of the memorial £23/10/- came, on 27th January 1920, from the balance of the funds of the Distington War Relief Charity- a further £10 went to the Parish Church War Memorial. The land cost £7/10-, parcel of land 237 on OS Map Second Edition containing 20 perches, adjoining the Whitehaven to Workington Road, road frontage of 132’, and a diagonal of 126’ (triangular piece of land). The money was paid out of the voluntary subscriptions. Conyeyed on 2nd December 1919.
Memorial: £420

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Responsibility
Distington Parish Council
Reference
  • Whitehaven News p7, 21st April 1921
  • At Whitehaven Record Office is the Conveyance of Land from the Robertson- Walker family of Gilgarran. (YSPC 13/96), also the Minute Book and Accounts for the WWII additions (YSPC 13/98).

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.

This information is made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC licence.

This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement:

© WMR-4031

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