Showcase result

Peeblesshire

The war memorial consists of a freestanding hexagonal sandstone shrine flanked to either side with freestanding sandstone clad walls. Central to the memorial is a delicate wheeled cross, elevated on a pedestal which is enriched with mosaics based on 12th century mosaics of Monreale. The cross is sheltered with an arched shrine, hexagonal on plan, with a domed roof covered by a canopy. Inset into the back walls of the shrine are three bronze plaques with the Peeblessshire First World War roll of honour again bordered with Mosaics. Flanking the shrine are simple stone walls, with recess for stone seats and three bronze commemorative plaques with Second War War and Afganhistan rolls of honour. The war memorial forms the east wall of the quadrangle of the Chambers Institute which provides a quiet area off the High Street in Peebles.

In 2014 War Memorials Trust offered a grant of £22,000 for repair and conservation work. The flanking walls of the memorial were in poor condition, the sandstone cladding which was put onto the wall, over 30 years ago, was deteriorating. This was due to a number of factors including the application of paint finish. Water had been getting inside the stone wall, due to the insufficient flashing at the top of the walls. This had led to damage of the stone was the trapped water was not able to evaporate through the construction joints of the wall as these have been historically re-pointed with a unsuitable hard cement based mortar. These issues were addressed by undertaking extensive works to the flanking walls including, installation of appropriate replacement lead flashing at the wall head, localised stone replacement, re-pointing of construction joints with a lime based mortar and the removal of the defective paintwork. In addition bronze plaques were cleaned and protected with an application of wax. 

In 2017 War Memorials Trust offered a further grant of £900 for high level stone cleaning which was not undertaken as part of the previous project.

The war memorial was designed by Thus Burnett Orphoot following winning the Peebles Burgh and County War Memorial architectural competition. His design at the Chambers Institute answered the brief for a memorial both ‘monumental and symbolic in character – a thing of artistic beauty’ to inspire succeeding generations. The laying of the foundations begun by February 1921 and the memorial was completed July 1921.

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM7057
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 6040

War Memorials Online: 141343

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

Return to search results | Start a new search