Memorial Title
Westhouses Memorial Playing Field
Summary
Derbyshire War Memorials: a description of the Westhouses Memorial Playing Field at Westhouses, Derbyshire.
Images
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Click on a thumbnail to see a larger image. Further images may be available on request. |
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Locations
| Last known location: Tibshelf Rd (B6025) Westhouses Derbyshire |
Nearest postcode: DE55 5AE National Grid Reference: SK 42240 58205 ±5m (Map opens in new window.) |
Location details: The playing field is west of Tibshelf Road and lies between Bolden Terrace and Sidings Way. The National Grid Reference is roughly for the middle of the field. |
Type
| Overall type: Playing field. | Overall condition: Good. The inscription is legible and the memorial is cared for. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Description: An oblong playing field of about 1.85ha laid out mainly to grass for field sports but also containing a sports court, playground equipment and other sporting equipment.. Glossary |
Components:
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Inscription
| WESTHOUSES MEMORIAL PLAYING FIELD |
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Administration
Local authorities:
From 1974: Blackwell Parish Council, Bolsover District Council; Derbyshire County Council.
History and Conservation
1916: The field was commandeered for wartime food production.
c1919: After the war the field was absorbed into farmland.
Late 1930s: Attempts by Blackwell Parish Council to buy the land included discussions with the Derbyshire Rural Community Council and the King George Memorial Fund for the provision of playing fields, but were to no avail.
May 1941: Villagers set up a committee to raise funds by organising local events, the sums raised being invested in War Savings Certificates held on behalf of the whole village by the Westhouses Village Welfare Fund managed by prominent local people. It was intended that after the war the money would be used to purchase a playing field.
1945: After the end of the war the field was not released from food production and no progress could be made.
1949: The Chatsworth Estate, owners of the old playing field, announced that they proposed to sell it, and the fundholding trust announced an intention to make an offer for it. It then appeared that the parish council had also proposed to acquire it, so the committee and the council agreed to work together to secure it. That agreement broke down and the committee proceeded alone.
1951: The land was conveyed to J Dicks, Rev J E Williams, Grace Johnson and Alven Sutcliffe to be held in trust: the Westhouses Memorial Playing Field Trust.
14th March, 1952: The legal estate in the land was vested in the Official Trustee for Charity Lands.
1st May, 1952: After paying £300 for the freehold, compensation for tithes and other claims, the field was occupied by the committee and declared to be "a lasting and a permanent memorial to those who gave their lives in the past two wars as well as serve as a thanksgiving for all those who went out and returned safely".
26th July, 1952: The playing field was officially opened by Mr J Dicks and a gala was held at the site.
13th June, 1972: Administration of the Westhouses Playing Field Trust was transferred to Blackwell Parish Council.
1972-c2016: Over time the status of the playing field was forgotten, its name had become the Westhouses Playing Field Trust, Registered Charity 520419 and it was generally known just as "The Rec".
c2016: The memorial status of the playing field was revealed after an elderly resident mentioned what it used to be called. This prompted local resident Mr Ross Berry-Hopkins to research the history of the playing field and, as it became fully revealed, a campaign, including a petition to Blackwell Parish Council, developed to formally re-establish the field as a war memorial. Because the community had no known war memorial listing the names of those from the village the research was extended to identify the names of the men the field had been dedicated to.
4th June, 2018: The name of the playing field was formally changed from Westhouses Playing Field to Westhouses Memorial Playing Field and a new signboard was erected.
11th January, 2020: The memorial was surveyed by Roy Branson. It was in good condition and cared for.
References
Ibid: 17th December, 1937; p5 col1: a report on a discussions by Blackwell Parish Council and a representative of the Derbyshire Rural Community Council, with particular emphasis on funding for the purchase of the field.
Ibid: 5th August, 1955; p12 col5: a report on the gala day held to celebrate the opening of the playing field two years earlier.
Berry-Hopkins, Ross; Pers Comm; several emails in January, 2020.
Blackwell Parish Council; Minutes of the meeting held on 4th June, 2018, Minute 321/2018 regarding change of name of the playing field.
Board of Charity Commissioner for England and Wales; Order for the vesting of the land.
Derby Telegraph; 16th November, 1937; p3 col7: a report of Blackwell Parish Council's attempts to purchase the field.
Derbyshire Times; 28th August, 1936; p12 col5: a report that Blackwell Parish Council had deferred the matter of purchasing the field.
Secretary of State for Education and Science; Order 72/841L for transfer of administration to Blackwell Parish Council; 13th June, 1972.
Miscellaneous notes and letters 1898-2018 regarding the history of the playing field. (Originals are held by Mr Steven Roberts and copies were kindly furnished by Ross Berry-Hopkins. Copies were subsequently deposited with Alfreton Heritage Centre where they may be consulted.)
Westhouses Memorial Playing Field Committee; Opening Ceremony Programme, 26th July, 1952. (Copy kindly furnished by Ross Berry-Hopkins)
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