Memorial Title

Gardens of Remembrance

Summary

Derbyshire War Memorials: a description of a composite war memorial at Spital Cemetery, Chesterfield, Derbyshire incorporating elements of gardens of remembrance commemorating Old Comrades and non-combative victims of conflict .

Images


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Locations

Last known location:
Spital Cemetery
Hady Hill (A632)
Spital
Chesterfield
Derbyshire

Nearest postcode:
S41 0DZ

NGR:
SK 39021 70699 ±5m
(Map opens in new window.)

Location details:
West of the main path, extending northwesterly towards the boundary with Spital La.

Type

Overall type: Gardens of remembrance.

Overall condition: Good

Description:

A composite war memorial comprising elements of two gardens of remembrance.

To the west of the main path and starting roughly level with the former chapels, is the Old Comrades Commemorative Meadow. This is marked with a plaque on a post and the meadow extends northwestwards for about 50m to end near an open area containing a seat.

Also west of the main path, but about 20m northwest of the sign for the Old Comrades, are two wooden posts marking the start of the Gateway Path which extends westward for about 30m to meet, and overlap with the open area with the seat. The Gateway Path marks the centenary of the signing of the WW1 peace treaty in 1919 and is bordered by groups of white roses and other plants commemorating bereaved families and others affected by the war.
The two square wooden posts by the main path have decorative faces at their tops bearing carvings in low relief. That to the left depicts roses and foliage (and bears the carver's name near the foot); that to the right represents doves of peace. Adjacent to the posts is a post-mounted plaque bearing images of a dove of peace and sprays of flowers outlned in white, a poppy in solid white, an inscription in various cases of roman lettering, and the emblem of the Friends of Spital Cemetery.
The garden beds contain mainly white roses but also a few rosemary plants, each dedicated to a victim of the war and commemorated on small individual black oblong plaques bearing texts in upright capital lettering.

Glossary

Components:

Component	Material	Height	Width	Depth	Condition
Garden	Land	Dimensions not defined			Fair
Post (Old Comrades)	Metal	c800	c75	dia	Good
Plaque (Old Comrades)	Metal	c300	c450	c5	Good
Post (Gateway Path)	Metal	880	75	dia	Good
Plaque (Gateway Path)	Composite	295	420	5+5	Good
Left post (Gateway Path)	Wood	1500	150	100	Good
Right post (Gateway Path)	Wood	1580	150	100	Good
Bench	Wood	980	1795	610	Fair
Plaque on bench	Metal	65	100	2	Fair
Dimensions in millimetres ±5mm unless stated otherwise.

Inscription

'Old Comrades' Plaque:

OLD COMRADES
COMMEMORATIVE MEADOW
The Great War
1914 - 1918

Chesterfield, like so many cities, towns and
villages, across the country and commonwealth,
lost a whole generation to the Great War and
many believe some communities never recovered
from the loss of so many young men.
We owe them a great debt, even now,
100 years after the start of conflict.

Through nature we see regeneration
and remember their sacrifice for us.

Members and staff of Chesterfield Borough Council.

Bottom right corner of plaque:

Produced by Fitzpatrick Woolmer - 0800 130 3630

'Gateway Path' Plaque:

THE GATEWAY PATH
To commemorate the centenary of the
signing of the Peace Treaty of Versailles on
June 28th, 1919.

"Lest we forget"

On this path we remember the families of service
personnel buried in Spital Cemetery from WW1
and WW2 who, in peace, bore their loss but rebuilt
their lives. We also rememberthe many veterans
who have returned to Chesterfield and this part of
Derbyshire over the years. We give our thanks to others
remembered on family graves who 'did not return'

Hope remains that nations will
make every effort to resolve their
differences by peaceful means.

Sponsored by Greggs.

Bottom right corner of plaque:

Produced by Fitzpatrick Woolmer - 01634 711 771

Conflicts and people named:
Conflict	First World War (1914-1919)	Totals
Action or event	Not stated
Number died	0	0
Number served and returned	1	1
Total names	1	1
A further 40 individual plaques commemorating bereaved families accompany the plants in the flower beds. Technically these are not classified as war memorials because they do not commemorate those who served or died in conflicts. Therefore they are not included here but are listed on a separate page.

Plaque on seat:

In grateful memory of
Walter William Wain 1885-1971
who served on the front with the Sherwood Foresters in WW1
and of the many veterans of WW1 and WW2 and other conflicts who
returned to family and friends in Chesterfield and NE Derbyshire.

Administration

Custodian: Chesterfield Borough Council with The Friends of Spital Cemetery.

Local authorities:
From WW1: Chesterfield Borough Council.
From 1974: Chesterfield Borough Council; Derbyshire County Council.

History and Conservation

Unknown date: The two plaques were made by Fitzpatrick Woolmer Design & Publishing Ltd of Rochester, Kent.
The two carved wooden posts were made by D J Parsons, Wood carver.
21st February, 2020 and 26th April, 2022: The memorial was surveyed by Roy Branson and Alan Willmot. It was in fair condition.

References

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