Memorial

Tower and Clock 1939-45 St. Paul

Trimdon Station

Memorial Name: Tower and Clock 1939-45 St. Paul (T66.05)

NEWMP Ref No.: T66.05

Parish: Trimdon Station

Original Location:

St. Paul’s Church, Commercial Street, Trimdon Colliery, TS29 6AN (Closed)

Present Location:

Trimdon Station Community Centre.

Which War:

1939-45

Dedication, Creation or Publication date:

Unveiled 10th June 1950 by James Howie Esq.;
dedicated by Rt.Rev. John Alexander Ramsbotham, M.A., Bishop of Jarrow.

Materials Used:

Opaque glazed dials; Copper casing for clock. Brass plaque.

Who Commissioned:

War Memorial Committee, inc. Messrs. George Hardy, Oswald Gray and Alfred Tulip.

Cost:

Total £1,839. Clock £810; Bells £268; Building £635; Architect £80; Plaque estimated £46

How Money was Raised:

Public subscription

Sculptor, Artist or Designer:

Clock built by Messrs. W. Potts & Son of Leeds.
Tower built by Messrs. F.W. Goodyear & Sons of Durham.
Bells made by Messrs Taylor of Loughborough.
Architect.- D. Mclntyre, A.R.I.B.A.

Ownership and Maintenance: Clock is maintained by the parish council.

Inscription:

On June 10th, 1950
the memorial clock tower on this church
erected by the people of Deaf Hill cum Langdale
was dedicated by the Bishop of Jarrow in memory
of those who gave their lives in the war
1939 to 1945.

“We bow before the flower of youth whose bloom
in fields eternal triumphs o’er the tomb.”

Memorial Description:

Tower and clock, which chimes every quarter hour.

There is a dial of five feet diameter on each face.

There are four bells for Westminster Chimes, total weight of 8 cwt. 2 quarters and 14 lbs.

A plaque bears the dedication.

The names are in three columns using Roman capitals.

Names:

30 full names.
See transcript.

Notes:

1. The last service was held in St. Paul’s on 20th October 2007. The building is now a private house.

2. By the time of the unveiling, £17 still need to be raised as a shortfall in funds.

3. In April 2005 there was a plea for help with funding to restore the clock and tower. This was renovated from 2005 to 2008. Total raised as at 9th June 2005 was £3650.97.

4. The Diocese of Durham had obtained planning permission for the conversion of the building into two dwellings. But any proposed new use will need to provide “for the retention and continued functioning of the World War II Memorial Clock”.

5. The 7 o’clock numeral was sponsored by Elizabeth Anderson, in memory of her brother, Thomas Tate.

6. Three motors, each of one quarter h.p. were installed. The mechanism was electrically driven for chiming, driving hammers and all accessories, and to light up the four dials. Should there be a temporary break in power, an automatically wound weight-driven clock was installed.

Sources:

Photos of tower: John and Mavis Dixon; photo of plaque: Derek Bradley

Durham Chronicle
09/06/1950 reports proposed unveiling tomorrow.

Northern Echo
14/01/2010 reports conversion of building into a dwelling.

Diocese of Durham
Faculty No. DDR/EJ/FAC/3/3231

The Monumental Brasses of County Durham William Lack, H. Martin Stuchfield and Philip Whittemore 2002 ISBN 095 4327101

Memorandum-Pastoral Measure 1983-Draft Pastoral (Church Buildings Disposal) Scheme
issued by the Church Commissioners.

Source of quotation
“We bow before the flower of youth . . .” Not known.

Additional Research Documents

T66.05 Unveiling Programme 1950

Download

Research Acknowledgements:

Bill Heslop (Durham Diocesan Office);
John L. Dixon;
Alan Vickers;
Dorothy Hall;
James Pasby;
Derek Bradley (Trimdon Station Community Centre);
Fitzhugh Collection, Middleton in Teesdale

Research In Progress:

If you are researching this memorial please contact 2014@newmp.org.uk