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Amble

Amble war memorial is a clock tower located in the memorial gardens within the town square on Queen Street in Amble, Northumberland. It is dressed with ashlar blocks and white marble inscription panels with lead letters. There is an oak door to the rear which gives access to the inside. The memorial is listed Grade II and is within the Amble conservation area. It remembers the fallen of the two World Wars.

In 2008, there were concerns about the condition of the memorial. The main issues were that the panels needed cleaning and some of the lead letters were missing; some joints needed re-pointing and graffiti had to be removed. A grant of £6,239, through the Grants for War Memorials Scheme supported by English Heritage and the Wolfson Foundation, was awarded towards steam cleaning to remove the graffiti, re-pointing in lime mortar and replacing the lead letters. Other works included cleaning and re-painting the clock face and generally servicing the mechanical elements. The timber door was repaired and elements of metalwork replaced.

In 2017, a further grant of £30,000 was awarded through the War Memorials Trust Grants Scheme, supported by the DCMS funded First World War Memorials Programme, to support a comprehensive repair and conservation programme. Listed Building Consent was acquired to enable the works to take place. In addition, the project involved a conservation-accredited professional advisor which was needed to fulfil the requirements of the scheme as the project cost in excess of £10,000.

Works undertaken included removing the clock mechanism to be repaired and cleaned offsite then returned to the structure. Within the tower there were repairs to the bell frame as well as improving access to the roof to ensure that debris can be removed and prevent drains getting blocked. When the roof had been investigated in 2016 5 footballs and a tennis ball were discovered with the tennis ball blocking the drainage. Rainwater goods were also replaced or improved to prevent water gathering on the stone and causing damage. All metal elements were also marked with free SmartWater as part of the In Memoriam 2014 initiative to deter metal theft. The project was completed and paid in 2018.

The clock tower was commissioned by the Amble War Memorial Committee. It was erected on land given by E M Lawson Smith Esq in memory of his two sons who fell. The designer was William Burton and the builders were a local firm called R. Carse & Sons. The memorial was unveiled on 9th May 1925 by Major Vernon Merivale M. C.

The inscriptions include:

"To the Glory of God and in memory of the men of Amble who fell in the Great War 1914-18"

"The site for this memorial was given by E M Lawson-Smith Esq in memorial of his two sons who fell in the Great War"

"Their names shall be held in everlasting remembrance"

"Also of those who fell in the War 1939 - 1945"

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM2356
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 33523

War Memorials Online: 90828

National Heritage List for England: 1041896

If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on conservation@warmemorials.org

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