Memorial Title

Wirksworth - Memorial Gardens

Summary

Derbyshire War Memorials: a description of war memorial gardens in Wirksworth, Derbyshire.

Images


	Click on a thumbnail to see a larger image. Further images may be available on request.

Locations

Last known location:
39 St Johns St
Wirksworth
Derbyshire

Nearest postcode:
DE4 4DS

NGR:
SK 28716 53843 ±5m
(Map opens in new window.)

Location details:
Adjacent to the Memorial Hall

Type

Overall type: Garden

Overall condition: Good. The inscriptions are legible and the memorial is well maintained.

Description:

An oblong plot of land laid out to gardens with lawns, paths, flower and shrub beds, and trees. A brass plaque set on a limestone rock in the shrubbery formerly recorded the construction but is now lost. Two limestone tablets set into the northern boundary wall record the opening and a subsequent remodelling.
The garden also contains some independent war memorials.

Glossary

Components:

Component	Material	Height	Width	Depth	Condition
Gardens	Land, concrete, vegetation	c663m2	c38m	c20m	Good
Tablet (upper)	Limestone	270	860	-	Fair
Tablet (lower)	Limestone	275	860	-	Fair
Plaque	Brass	145	205	5	Lost
Backboard (a rock)	Limestone	200	430	350	Lost
Dimensions in millimetres ±5mm unless stated otherwise.

Inscription

Plaque:

Conflicts and people named:
Conflict	Non specific	Totals
Action or event	Not stated
Number died	0	0
Number served and returned	0	0
Total names	0	0

To Commemorate the
Construction of these
memorial Gardens
in 1967 by
Cecil, Cliff and
Frank Henshall

Upper tablet:

THESE MEMORIAL GARDENS WERE
OFFICIALLY OPENED ON MAY 14TH. 1967
BY COUNCILLOR D. KNEEBONE J.P.
CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL.

Lower tablet:

THE GARDEN WAS REMODELLED IN 1997
AND THE WORK DEDICATED
TO THE MEMORY OF
COLONEL SIR PETER HILTON KCVO MC KStJ JP

Administration

Custodian: Wirksworth Town Council

Local authorities:
From WW2: Wirksworth Parish Council; Wirksworth Urban District Council; Derbyshire County Council.
From 1974: Wirksworth Town Council; Derbyshire Dales District Council; Derbyshire County Council.

History and Conservation

1966-7: The gardens were constructed by Cecil, Cliff and Frank Henshall.

14th May, 1967: The gardens were opened by Cllr D Kneebone JP, Chairman of Wirksworth Urban District Council.

21st August, 1970: The Wirksworth Conservation Area was designated. The site lies within it.

1997: The gardens were remodelled.

4th February, 2008: The memorial was surveyed by Roy Branson and Alan Willmot. It was in fair condition and cared for.

c2018: The gardens were again remodelled under a project managed by Wirksworth Town Council. The design was by Urban Wilderness Ltd, landscape architects, of Leeds and Sheffield, and construction was by N T Killingley Ltd, landscaping contractors of Chesterfield.

30th June, 2019: The memorial was rephotographed by Roy Branson. It was in good condition and cared for.

References

Taylor, M; 11th May, 2018: (in the Daily Mail) A letter from a resident criticising the use of the new paved area for the town's Tuesday market.

Comments

The 2019 remodelling generated some controversy because of the significant reduction in soft garden area and its replacement by paving which would accommodate stalls of the Tuesday Market. However, the town council carried out an extensive public consultation and there was overwhelming support for the paving providing that it was sympathetic to the site. Additionally, some details of the layout were selected from options presented by the consultants and voted for by the public.

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