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Memorial details

Memorial type
Garden
District
Bradford
Town
Ilkley
County
West Yorkshire
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918)
Maker
MR JOHN J JOASS (Designer)
Ceremony
  • Opened
    Date: 23 July 1922
    Attended by: Colonel J H Hastings and Captain Thomas Harold Broadbent Maufe VC (who was later accidentally killed during the Second World War by mortar practice)
  • Dedicated
    Date: 23 July 1922
    Attended by: Arthur W T Perowne, Bishop of Bradford
  • Show More (1)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
86571

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Current location

Memorial Gardens
at the west end of The Grove. The garden is bordered by The Grove to the east
Grove Road and Kings Road to the south
The Grove's junction with Bolton Bridge Road to the north
and Parish Ghyll stream to the west.
Ilkley
Bradford
West Yorkshire
LS29 9AA
England

OS Grid Ref: SE 11328 47610
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Ilkley Memorial Gardens is located on a prominent site at the heart of the town centre at the west end of The Grove, Ilkley's principal shopping street. The garden is bordered by The Grove to the east, Grove Road and Kings Road to the south, The Grove's junction with Bolton Bridge Road to the north, and Parish Ghyll stream to the west. The garden, which is approximately 3,286 sq. m in area, has an irregular hexagonal shape with the narrowest part at the east end and the second narrowest part at the west end bordering Parish Ghyll stream. Ilkley Memorial Gardens was designed by the London architect John James Joass and was laid out in 1922. In 1919 Ilkley War Memorial Committee held an architectural competition and invited designs for the erection of a First World War memorial and the laying out of memorial gardens at the west end of The Grove, Ilkley's main street, on a parcel of land that had been bought by Joseph Cooper of Norwood House and donated to Ilkley District Council. The architect Walter Brierley of York was appointed as assessor and the designs were not to exceed £3500. Seven designs were submitted and the selected winner was John James Joass of London, whose design of an urn-topped cenotaph accessed via three avenues and surrounded by flower beds and seating was described by Brierley as being 'dignified, evenly proportioned, and scholarly'. The design also included provision for a crescent of 'artistic trees' behind the cenotaph (in the location of the Second World War memorial), but historic photographs do not appear to show these and it appears unlikely that this was implemented. The memorial was erected in 1922 and the gardens were laid out at the same time. The memorial was unveiled on 23 July 1922 by Colonel J H Hastings and Captain Thomas Harold Broadbent Maufe VC (who was later accidentally killed during the Second World War by mortar practice, and is recorded on the plaque inside the garden's Second World War memorial), and the dedication was led by Arthur W T Perowne, Bishop of Bradford. The Gate piers, gates, railings and steps are listed separately by English Heritage, to the gardens listing.
Inscription
[none]
Inscription legible?
yes
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
Components
  • Garden
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Plant Material
  • Gate posts
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone - Sandstone
  • Fence/ Railing
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Wrought Iron
  • Gates
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Wrought Iron
  • Steps
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
Listing information
Condition
Costs

Site: NIL
Comments: Land bought by Joseph Cooper of Norwood House and donated to Ilkley District Council

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Reference
  • 'Ilkley War Memorial' newspaper article in the Leeds Mercury, 29 March 1919
  • Brown, C, Hunnebell, M, Ilkley and the Great War, (2014)
  • 'The Ilkley War Memorial' newspaper article in the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, 29 August 1919
  • Newspaper article in the Leeds Mercury, 20 July 1922
  • 'Ministry ban Ilkley War Memorial scheme' and 'Public Incensed' newspaper articles in the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, 2 September 1950
  • Lambert, D. War Memorial Parks and Gardens: Introduction to Heritage Assets. Historic England, October 2015
  • 'Ilkley War Memorial. Unveiling Ceremony on Sunday' newspaper article in the Shipley Times & Express, 28 July 1922

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-86571

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