Geograph - photograph every grid square

War Memorial

The War memorial in Victoria Square, opposite the Town Hall (SD7109 : Bolton Town Hall) which can be seen behind the memorial in this picture.

The Bolton Cenotaph War Memorial is possibly one of the finest of the many memorials in England commemorating the 1914-1918 War.

It was unveiled in front of Bolton Town Hall in 1928. Originally commemorating the people of Bolton lost during the First World War, further inscriptions were added after the Second World War.

The memorial is in the form of an arch which encloses a bronze cross overlaid with a crusader’s sword. On either side of this arch there are bronze figures sculpted by Water Marsden; these were added in 1933 Link (The National Archives) shows the memorial before the statues were added).

One sculpture, “Peace Restraining War”, features a seated female figure, representing Peace, restraining the arms of a kneeling male warrior who represents War (SD7109 : Peace Restraining War ) . On the other side “Peace seeing the Horrors of War” depicts the figure of Peace raising her hands as the warrior, now dead, lies in her lap (SD7109 : The Horrors of War). (Link Your Archives).

The monument is a Grade II listed structure (Link British Listed Buildings)

The inscriptions on the memorial read

“Tell ye your children our brothers died to win a better World our part must be to strive for truth goodwill and peace that their sacrifice be not in vain” (SD7109 : Tell Ye Your Children east face)

and

“Lest we forget” (SD7109 : Bolton Great War Memorial, Victoria Square west face)
“In undying memory of the men and women of Bolton who gave their lives in The Great War” (SD7109 : In Undying Memory and SD7109 : Bolton Great War Memorial, Victoria Square west face)

The dates 1914-1919 and 1939-1945 are also inscribed on the west face of the memorial.

For more, see Link