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Grangemouth

The Grangemouth cenotaph is located at the entrance to Zetland Park, Falkirk. The imposing masonry structure  is topped with a British lion rending a German eagle. Inscriptions and names are found around the bottom of the plinth remembering fallen from World Wars I and II as well as the Korean war in the 1950s.

In 2016 a grant of £1,500 was offered towards a detailed condition survey and report to understand the condition of the memorial before a larger project is undertaken. The report included recommendations for an appropriate programme for repair and conservation works and was undertaken by a conservation-accredited professional advisor.

In 2017 a grant of £22,225 was offered towards undertaking works specified by the professional advisor who was appointed in 2016.  The build up of alge and pigeon guano was having a detrimental effect on the memorials stonework and was obcuring the inscriptions, the pointing in the construction joints was failing and there were areas where the stone had small fissures and cracks which was allowing water into the stone.  Some of the lead lettering on the memorial were missing and the deterioation of the paint finish was making the inscriptions difficult to read.  To adress these issues the memorial was cleaned using water and natural bristle brushes, the memorial was re-pointed with a lime based mortar and missing letters were replaced and the inscription was re-painted.

In 2021, extensive conservation and repair works were carried out to the gates and railings with a grant of £30,000 from War Memorials Trust Grants Scheme. The metalwork gates were badly corroded and no longer functioning. The gates were dismounted and removed from site and taken to a local foundry for assessment of their condition. Repairs were required to a number of corroded areas and missing artistic detailing to features such as thistle finials were replaced. Hinge mechanisms and runners were also repaired and the gates were primed and repainted before they were re-hung in functioning condition as per the original design . Works were also undertaken onsite to address localised corrosion of wrought-iron railings before these were also primed and repainted. The construction joints of the gate piers and wall were carefully raked-out and re-pointed using a lime mortar. In addition to works funded by War Memorials Trust, the area was re-landscaped and re-planted.

The designer of the memorial was Sir John Burnett of John Burnett, Son and Dick whilst the sculptor was Alexander Proudfoot of Glasgow. The memorial was unveiled in September 1923.  

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM5457
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 44723

War Memorials Online: 152126

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

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