Memorial

Cross 1914-18 1939-45 Knott Memorial Garden

Heddon on the Wall

Memorial Name: Cross 1914-18 1939-45 Knott Memorial Garden (H35.01)

NEWMP Ref No.: H35.01

Parish: Heddon on the Wall

Original Location:

Village, at junction of B6528 and B6318 roads.

It stands in the Knott Memorial Garden, see H35.02

Which War:

a. 1914-18
b. 1939-45

Dedication, Creation or Publication date:

a. Unveiled 11th November 1922 by Sir Loftus Bates

Materials Used:

Cornish granite

Who Commissioned:

War Memorial Committee.

Cost:

£170

How Money was Raised:

Public subscription.
Sir James Knott gave a donation and the site.
Concrete foundation given by Throckley Coal Co.

Inscription:

a.
To the glory of God
and in loving memory of
those from this parish
who laid down their lives
for their country during the Great War
1914-1918

“So they passed over, and all the trumpets / sounded for them on the other side”.

b.
Also to the memory of those of this parish who fell
in the Second Great War 1939-1945

Memorial Description:

Cross of Celtic type 11 feet 6 inches high (3.5m) decorated with a Crusader’s sword carved in half relief.

It rests on a pedestal of rough stone with rounded corners.

The front face of this has been smoothed out to carry the dedication, which is made of letters attached to the monument, using sans serif capitals throughout.

The names from 1914-18 are listed in two columns.

The names from 1939-45 are on the riser of the top step, listed in three columns, the lettering made in the same way.

The whole rests on a four-stepped base 102 inches x 92 inches (260cms x 233cms).

Names:

a. 16 full names.
b. 6 full names.
See transcript.

Notes:

1. At Christmas 2005 the top of the cross was decorated with holly in the form of a cross.

2. The site was Heddon Pond which originally was a Roman fosse, built by Roman military engineers in vulnerable places of the Roman Wall. This filled up over the centuries and became a shallow pond which was filled in by Sir James Knott.

3. From the Heddon district, including Heddon Colliery, over 200 men served, of whom 15 were killed.

4. In October 1922, a month before the unveiling, a car was completely wrecked after it crashed into the foundations of the memorial. Four men were remanded at North Shields.

External Links:

Historic England Listing
Heddon on the Wall Local History Society

Sources:

Photos: J. Brown; P. Thirkell; Christmas decoration: Tony Harding

Illustrated Chronicle
04/08/1922 and 03/08/1922 report proposed memorial;
10/10/1922 reports car crash;
13/11/1922 reports unveiling with photos.

Newcastle Weekly Chronicle
18/11/1922 reports unveiling.

Source of quotation
“So they passed over . . .” Pilgrim’s Progress John Bunyan