Cross 1914-18 1939-45 St. Mary’s Churchyard

St. Mary’s Churchyard, The Green, Greenford

Western side of path across the churchyard from the church.

a. 1914-18
b. 1939-45

a. Unveiled 19th March 1921 by Sir Arthur Pease.
dedicated by Rev. H.C. Watson, Vicar.
b. Erected 17th November 1953

Yorkshire Stone, from Bolton

War Memorial Committee

£150

Public subscription

Designer – “A member of the War Memorial Committee”. Daughter of H.C. Watson, the incumbent,
Carving done by Mr. Percival Charge of Messrs Charge Bros.

a.
These men of
Gainford Parish
laid down their
lives in the Great War
1914-1918

b.
1939-1945

Cross, 10 feet high (3m), with wide tapering plinth incised with elaborate patterns.

It sits within a very low octagonal wall.

The dedication is carved to stand proud within a sunken panel on the front using sans serif capitals.

The names are incised in a single column in another sunken panel below that, using sans serif capitals.

At its foot is a flat slab bearing the dedication and names for 1939-45, the officers in a single column at the top and the four privates in two columns underneath.

Lettering is sans serif capitals.

1. This was an example of design and sculpture having been completed before Diocesan approval had been sought. It might be that Trinity College were responsible for the living, and their consent to the memorial is documented in the Faculty file, in the form of a letter from the Bursar of 23/04/1921

2. In 2015 the memorial was cleaned and the gravel renewed. The firm of Charge Brothers still operates in the village.

3. July 1st 2016 at 7.20 am a short moving service of remembrance was held to commemorate the centenary of the first day of the battle of the Somme.

Historic England Listing

Photos: John & Mavis Dixon; Simon Raine

Darlington & Stockton Times
26/03/1921 reports unveiling.

Teesdale Mercury
10/01/1996 reports proposals to have the memorial repairs due to erosion.

Diocese of Durham
Faculty 1007, issued 26/04/1921

The Story Durham (formerly Durham County Record Office)
Ref: EP/Gai 77 Faculty for erection of a stone cross as a war memorial in Gainford Churchyard, 26 April 1921  (1 paper, typescript)
Ref: EP/Gai 78-99 Correspondence concerning grants for the restoration of Gainford Parish Church clock, War Memorial and Jubilee Memorial cross, in European Architectural Heritage Year, 2 November 1974 – 13 August 1975 (22 papers, typescript Ref Ref: EP/Gai 30 Miscellaneous papers, including  agreement to maintain a war grave, 1926

Gainford and Langton Parish Magazine August 2016

John and Mavis Dixon;
Fitzhugh Collection, Middleton in Teesdale;
Dorothy Hall;
Peter Ratcliffe

David Pullan is researching the names on this memorial.
Contact: dnspullan1982@gmail.com

The results of Gainford’s Fallen Tommies 2018 Project can be seen in the attached document