Memorial

Garden and arch 1914-18 1939-45 Front Street

Newbiggin by the Sea

Memorial Name: Garden and arch 1914-18 1939-45 Front Street (N10.02)

NEWMP Ref No.: N10.02

Parish: Newbiggin by the Sea

Original Location:

Front Street

Which War:

a. 1914-18
b. 1939-45

Dedication, Creation or Publication date:

a. Plaque on archway unveiled 8th November 1924 by Major N. Southern. Dedication by Canon Rhodes, Vicar of Woodhorn.
The gates were unlocked by Mr. Cutter of the Newbiggin Urban District Council.

Materials Used:

Portland stone arch.

Who Commissioned:

War Memorial Committee, Chairman Cllr. T. Walsh.

How Money was Raised:

Public subscription.
The site was provided by the Freeholders of Newbiggin.

Sculptor, Artist or Designer:

Archway designed by Messrs. Cackett and Burns Dick of Newcastle.
Stonework around park done by Messrs. Finlay and Robinson of Woodhorn.
The arch itself built by Mr. Gibson of Newbiggin.
Turf and asphalt were by Messrs. Edgar and Mole.
Pallisading by Messrs. Downie and Sons.
Trees and shrubs from Mathesons of Morpeth.

Ownership and Maintenance: The site was given into the hands of the Newbiggin Urban District Council at the time of the unveiling in November 1924.

Inscription:

On gateway:

Memorial Park

To the glorious memory of the men of
1914 Newbiggin by the Sea who made the 1918
1939 supreme sacrifice in the Great War. 1945

On boulder:
The restoration
of
Memorial Park
opened by
H.R.H. The Duke of Kent
15th June 2005

On wreath inside gate:
A voice forever stilled
A
Memory

Memorial Description:

Garden of Remembrance with entrance through an archway.

The archway is approx. 15 feet high (4.6m) with a pair of bronze gates.

On the front of the arch at the top is a laurel wreath carved in half relief.

The words “Memorial Park” are incised using sans serif capitals below the wreath and above the dedication, and the dates “1914” and “1939” to the left of the dedication and “1918” and “1945” to the right are incised using Roman figures.

The dedication is formed of bronze letters attached to the stone above the gateway, using Roman capitals.

Inside the gateway is a rough boulder with smooth front face telling of the 2005 restoration of the park and the opening, the lettering incised using Roman lower case.

A notice has been fixed to the gate asking people to respect the park.

Also inside the gate is a concrete wreath approx 6 feet diameter (2m)

It rests against a column, with the words on the column “A Voice forever stilled / A / Memory” seen through the wreath.

Names:

None

Notes:

1. The site chosen for the Park was a derelict site known as the “Old Pond”, and was situated opposite Newbiggin Station.

2. At the opening, Mr. Cutter was presented with a silver cigarette case.

3. In 1939-45, 945 men left to fight, of whom 50 died.

4. In 1949, men and a woman who had received gallantry awards were given silver cigarette cases, and a woman received a silver powder compact.

5. The Newbiggin branch of the Comrades of the Great War wrote to the Morpeth Herald: “We the Newbiggin Branch of the Comrades of the Great War strongly condemn the suggestion to build a War Memorial in the shape of a monument, and strongly advise the Council either to hold a public meeting to enable the man who has served to voice his views, or to accept the suggestion to build a public hall and invest the proceeds for the benefit of the men who have fallen”.

6. As part of the 2015 alterations, the concrete wreath has been removed.

External Links:

Histroic England Listing

Sources:

Photos: J. Brown; old postcard: Tony Harding

Blyth News
10/11/1924 reports opening.

Morpeth Herald
24/01/1919 reports proposals;
21/02/1919 reports disagreement in Note 5 above;
04/07/1919 reports creation of a garden;
29/08/1919 reports flag day results;
28/05/1920 reports meeting to discuss the form of the memorial and the raising of the funds;
04/07/1924 reports the agreement on form of the memorial and site;
14/11/1924 reports opening of park, and also row over who was to chair the ceremony;
23/08/1945 reports numbers of men who fought and those who died;
07/10/1949 reports gifts to gallantry award winners.

Newcastle Daily Journal
21/05/1920 reports arch to be erected at entrance to the Pond.

Newcastle Weekly Chronicle
15/11/1924 reports opening.

News Post leader
24/10/2002 contains letter requesting that children respect the garden, and reports proposals to have the railings replaced and the iron work refurbished.

Morpeth County Library
Postcard collection shows the gates decorated with flowers.