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Tattenhall

The war memorial in the village of Tattenhall in south west Cheshire is a sandstone Celtic cross on a plinth and a three-stepped base. There is decoration on the arms of the cross and the shaft is mainly recessed, with a border around the edge and an upward-pointing sword left as relief features. Below the sword is an inscription. The cruciform plinth has bronze plaques set into the front and the side. The stone for the memorial was quarried from the local Peckforton quarry. The memorial stands on paving stones and is surrounded on three sides by the retaining wall of a grassed area. There is a low post and chain fence and a gravelled area in front of the memorial, which is situated on the High Street.

The memorial was experiencing problems because of the movement of the substrate; the memorial was leaning to the right and the wall behind it was cracked and leaning. A geotechnical assessment showed that the memorial had been built on loose and very soft soil and peat, unsuitable for supporting such a monument. Also, a stream that had flowed through the field behind the memorial had been diverted and two trees had been planted either side of the memorial in the 1970s; both of these factors were causing the ground to dry out. It was therefore recommended that the walls, steps and paving be dismantled, a new foundation be constructed, loose sand and peat removed and the walls, steps and paving be rebuilt.

In February 2004 English Heritage offered a grant of £350 towards this work.

Beneath the sword on the shaft of the cross are the words

Requies
cant
in pace

The plaque on the front of the memorial reads

This memorial
records the names of men of
Tattenhall, Newton and Golborne
Bellow, who served in the Great War
1914 - 1918 and died for their country
in defence of liberty and justice

The list of names is below this, and then the quotation from Lamentations

"Is it nothing to you,
all ye who pass by?"

 A further plaque was added to the side of the memorial to commemorate the fallen of World War II.

The memorial was unveiled on Wednesday 26th July 1922 by Lt Gen Sir Henry Beauvoir de Lisle KCB KCMG SOC (GOC-in-C The Western Command). The memorial was erected by Cleggs of Chester and it is believed to have been designed by Douglas Minshull.

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM145
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 9845

The memorial is listed building number 486974
More about Sir Henry Beauvoir de Lisle

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

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