Memorial

Cross All Wars Front Street

Sacriston

Memorial Name: Cross All Wars Front Street (S113.02)

NEWMP Ref No.: S113.02

Parish: Sacriston

Original Location:

Front Street, in front of the Community Hall.

Present Location:

Resited outside the Fulforth centre in Front Street and rededicated 8th October 2010

Which War:

All wars

Dedication, Creation or Publication date:

Unveiled ?9th July 1981;
rededicated 8th October 2010 by Canon Caroline Black.

Materials Used:

White Italian marble.

Who Commissioned:

Local branch of Royal British Legion

How Money was Raised:

Public subscription; £12,000 for re-siting from the Warrior Trust; grant for repair from the War Memorials Trust.

Inscription:

In
memory of

those who gave their lives
in the service
of their country
so that we shall live.

They shall grow not old
as we that are left grow old.
We will remember them.

Memorial Description:

Cross, 37 inches high (95cms), on a four-tier base, total height 65 inches (164cms).

It sits on a small square site surrounded by kerbs.

The dedication is carried on one side of the top three tiers of the base, the lettering incised using sans serif capitals.

The tiers measure as follows:
1st tier 35 inches long x 35 inches wide x 6 inches deep (901mm x 901mm x 154mm);
2nd tier 27 inches long x 27 inches wide x 8 inches deep (685mm x 685mm x 204mm);
3rd tier 21 inches long x 21 inches wide x 8 inches deep (533mm x 533mm x 196mm);
4th tier 15 inches long x 15 inches wide x 6 inches deep (380mm x 380mm x 138mm).

Names:

None

Notes:

1. When resited, broken stones were repaired and the memorial raised on steps.

2. Included in the pedestal was a poem chosen through competition, and also printed on the Service of Rededication. Angela Kelly, a soldier, was the winner, who read her poem as part of the service.

3. The memorial was re-sited because Warrior Developments wanted to build a 372 square metre food hall and car park on the site of the former hall. This formed part of a £200,000 “Heart of the Village” regeneration scheme towards which the firm donated £12,000.

4. The Fulforth Centre was the focus of Durham County Council’s ‘Heart of the Village’ regeneration scheme.

5. On a visit in August 2022, the community has added two seats 62 inches long (157cms) and 2 seven feet high (210cms) outlines of soldiers, to the area. There is a marble surround to the cross with black marble corner pillars and a metal rail.

6. The foundation stones from the Institute have been incorporated into 4 benches by being laid in blocks of six and topped with a flat stone to create seating. A clock has also been placed here to replace the clock which was on the Memorial Institute.

7. This was all part of the regeneration of Sacriston called “The Pulse” which
“Started Beating 30th November 2009
Commissioned by the people of Sacriston”.
The clock sides have a time line for Sacriston including the date of the Institute and the date when it burnt down as well as the distance places are from Sacriston.

External Links:

Historic England Listing

Sources:

Photos: Dorothy Hall; James Pasby

Chester le Street Advertiser
20/02/2010 reports proposals re public consultation
15/04/2010 reports start of refurbishment
16/10/2010 reports re-dedication after re-siting.

Durham Chronicle
10/07/1981 reports unveiling

Northern Echo
14/05/2010 reports proposed relocation.

The Journal
16/10/2010 reports anger at proposal to move the memorial.

War Memorials Trust
Ref. 3779

Source of quotation
“They shall grow not old . . .” For the Fallen Lawrence Binyon