Memorial details

Memorial type
Tower
District
Amber Valley
Town
Crich
County
Derbyshire
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945), Regimental Memorials
Ceremony
  • Dedicated
    Date: 6 August 1923
    Attended by: Bishop of Southwell
  • Rededicated
    Date: 1991
    Attended by: UNKNOWN
  • Rededicated
    Date: 1952
    Attended by: UNKNOWN
  • Opened
    Date: 6 August 1923
    Attended by: Gen Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien GCB GCMG KCB DSO
  • Show More (3)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
684

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Current location

Crich Hill
Plaistow Green Road
Crich
Amber Valley
Derbyshire
DE4 5DP
England

OS Grid Ref: SK 34458 55267
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
A circular beacon tower and associated platform, railings, tablets and plaques. The coursed squared gritstone tower has ashlar dressings and contains a spiral stone staircase leading to an open viewing gallery comprising a circular stone cill with stone columns supporting a circular stone frieze, cornice and ashlar dome with flaming finial at the top. The gallery contains a powerful electric beacon lamp which is illuminated at night and visible from a great distance. A door at the foot is formed from heavy stone jambs with a deep lintol and pediment above bearing a bronze wreath. The whole sits on a battered square platform of rock faced sandstone with flat copings supporting wrought iron railings enclosing a paved area accessed by stone steps and a pair of wrought iron gates. The face of the tower bears a large stone cross with a sword set into its face above a metal badge of the Sherwood Foresters and the dates of the two world wars in metal figures. An incised inscription over the door is in upright capital lettering. Cast bronze plaques each side of the door and to the left of the gate bear regimental badges and raised lettering in upright capital lettering. A further bronze plaque to the right of the gate bears several regimental badges. Several interpretation boards are located around the site and in nearby sites.
Inscription
Face of tower above door: 1914-1918/ 1939-1945 Stone pediment over door: (It is unclear whether two lines of markings comprise lettering.) Stone lintol over door: TO THE MEMORY OF 11409 MEN OF ALL RANKS OF THE/ SHERWOOD FORESTERS (NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AND DERBYSHIRE/ REGIMENT) WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR KING AND FOR THEIR/ COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1919 AND IN HONOUR/ OF 140000 OF THEIR COMRADES WHO SERVED DURING THE/ WAR IN THIRTY TWO BATTALIONS OF THE REGIMENT THIS/ MONUMENT IS GRATEFULLY ERECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE/ COUNTIES OF NOTTINGHAM AND DERBY./ TO REMIND US OF THEIR SACRIFICE AND OUR DUTY Plaque to left of door: THIS MEMORIAL TOWER IS ALSO DEDICATED/ TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE OF THE SHERWOOD/ FORESTERS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE/ SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY/ FROM 1945 TO 1970 Plaque to right of door: THIS MEMORIAL TOWER IS ALSO DEDICATED/ TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE OF THE/ WORCESTERSHIRE AND SHERWOOD FORESTERS/ REGIMENT WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES IN/ THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY SINCE THE/ FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT ON/ 28 FEBRUARY 1970 Plaque to left of gate: TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND/ IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THE/ 1520 SHERWOOD FORESTERS WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE WAR/ OF 1939-1945 & IN HONOUR OF/ THEIR COMRADES WHO SERVED IN/ THE 13 UNITS OF THE REGIMENT
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Walker, Albert
Ward, Harry
Watson, Roger
White, Arthur
White, John
Whittington, William
Wilks, Alfred
Wood, James
Young, Frank
Young, William
See details for all 10 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
  • Regimental Memorials
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Plaques
    Measurements: depth -, height c400mm, width c600mm
    Materials: Bronze
  • Tower
    Measurements: depth c4000mmdia, height 19400mm, width c4000mmdia
    Materials: Stone - Gritstone
  • Wall
    Measurements: depth c8000mm, height c1500mm, width c8000mm
    Materials: Stone - Stancliffe
  • Tablet
    Measurements: depth -, height c600mm, width c2000mm
    Materials: Stone
  • Paving
    Measurements: depth c8000mm, height -, width c8000mm
    Materials: Stone
  • Gates
    Measurements: depth c100mm, height c2500mm, width c2000mm
    Materials: Wrought Iron
  • Fence/ Railing
    Measurements: depth c8000mm, height c1200mm, width c8000mm
    Materials: Wrought Iron
Listing information
  • Crich Stand (Sherwood Foresters Regimental 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
2016 & 2017- 2 War Memorials Trust Grants of £8.640 and £65,630- fully scaffold the memorial, repair the cracked concrete dome, including removing materials from previous repairs and apply products to repair the cracks and protect from water penetration; also repairs to support columns and cills. Repoint the whole tower with lime mortar, gates and railings repaired and repainted; also works to the plinth and paving at the base; apply smartwater to all metal elements March 2011: Tower repointed; 15 October 1997: Listed Grade II, English Heritage reference 468882; July 1990: Lettering recut by stonemason Geoffrey Dakin.; 1931: Access road built.; c1929: Railings added.; 1925: Warden's cottage built.; 1923: Reconstruction incorporated the numbered stones from the tower built in 1851 and one stone from a previous tower built in 1788.; 1922: An earlier semi derelict beacon tower was demolished and the stones numbered for reconstruction as a war memorial.; The site is a designated Derbyshire Wildlife Site.
Costs

Site: Site donated by Maj Francis C A Hurt of Alderwasley.
Comments: The Clay Cross Company Ltd (via the company chairman Brigadier General G M Jackson) donated the whole of the stonework of the old tower, plus a subscription of £200 and transportation of all materials to the site as required by the builder.
Memorial: £1182 8s 5d in 1923

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Responsibility
2010: The site is owned by, and in the care of, the Mercian Regiment.
Reference
  • AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN: BRITISH FIRST WORLD WAR MEMORIALS by BOORMAN, DEREK 42 Source: Image Library NIWM Published:SESSIONS 1988 YORK
  • More photographs-www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/121794/
  • War Memorials Trust Bulletin 77-May 2018-page 6
  • Carter Postcard Collection
  • Well Dressing.com The site includes photograph of the well dressing illustrating the memorial. www.welldressing.com/photo.php?year=2001&id=10&uid=3519#l
  • Our Blog ukniwm.wordpress.com/2007/09/17/the-new-mercian-regiment/
  • English Heritage Listed Buildings Online www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=468882&resourceID=5
  • Other website The Mercian Regiment www.army.mod.uk/infantry/regiments/9713.aspx
  • Other website WFR War Memorial. Contains considerable details of the history of the memorial and facts surrounding it. www.crich-memorial.org.uk/
  • WM6
  • Derby Evening Telegraph 16/ 29 March 2011 Article and photographs of repointing project executed by Aspire Maintenance, steeplejacks.
  • Derby Evening Telegraph 14/ 1 February 2011 Photograph accompanying article about repairs including repair of the light.
  • Derby Evening Telegraph 11/ 8 October 2010 11/ 20 December 2010 Photograph
  • Derby Evening Telegraph 1 and 12/ 5 July 2010 Report and photos of annual pilgrimage 2010.
  • Regimental Customs and Traditions, The Mercian Regiment, Anon, Undated. Contains details of the memorial.
  • Father's Derbyshire by Hargreaves, Cyril 65 Published:Moorley's Bible and Bookshops Ltd 1978 Photo of opening
  • Derby Daily Telegraph 9/15th July 2009
  • Derby Express 17 July 2008
  • Derby Evening Telegraph 25 June 2008; 28 June 2008; 03 July 2008

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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