Monument record MDR22416 - Cromford War Memorial, Garden of Remembrance, Cromford

Cromford War Memorial was unveiled by Sergeant Major Gillott and dedicated by the Bishop of Southwell on 13 July 1919. Commemorating 18 local men who died during the First World War, it cost circa £260; the land and £100 were donated by Mr FC Arkwright. Following the Second World War the names of ten men who fell in that conflict were added. The memorial stands in a Garden of Remembrance to the south of the junction of Market Place and Derby Road, close to Willersley Castle (Grade II) and within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. It comprises a canopied Crucifixion raised on an octagonal shaft, surmounting a rectangular pedestal on a three-stepped base. The cross head, shaft, and pedestal are in Stancliffe stone. The base is made of limestone and is surrounded by a square paved area. The principal dedicatory inscription, in raised lettering on a bronze plaque on the front of the pedestal, reads: IN/ IMPERISHABLE MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF CROMFORD/ WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1919./ "THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE." The First World War names are listed on bronze plaques to the left and right sides of the pedestal. A rectangular bronze plaque fixed to the front of the upper step reads 1939 1945/ (10 NAMES). Cromford War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the 20th century; * Architectural interest: an elegant memorial cross; * Group value: the memorial stands to the south of Willersley Castle Grade II registered park and within Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. (1)