Monument 1914-18 1939-45 Roadside

Alnmouth – at T-junction leading to the town from Hipsburn.

On mini-roundabout, Northumberland Street.

a. 1914-18
b. 1939-45

a. 24th July 1921 by Brig.Gen. B.F. Widdrington, M.G., D.S.O., of Newton Hall.
Dedicated by Rev. R.W. Bell of Darlington.

b. 8th May 1949 by Duchess of Northumberland.
Dedicated by Rev. T. Hindmarsh.

Rededicated 6th April 2014

Stone, bronze.

a. War Memorial Committee.
b. Alnmouth Victory Fund Committee.

a. £400

a. Public subscription.

b. Alnmouth Welcome Home Fund, including British Legion. Public subscriptions.

a. Designed by Messrs. Hicks and Charlwood;
made by Messrs. Carse & Sons, Amble.

b. Messrs. Carse of Amble to clean and point the memorial and mount the new plaques.

Erected to the honour
and the ever
sacred memory of those
who sacrificed themselves
to achieve victory in the
Great War 1914-1918
and the
World War 1939-45.
See that you conquer by
living as we conquered
by dying.

Lamp. Square stepped pedestal surmounted by a pillar bearing a lantern, originally a gas lamp, total height 15 feet (5m).

A stone wreath is at the base of the pillar.

The inscription is on bronze plaques each 22 inches square (558mm) on three sides of the pedestal.

The lettering is raised in Roman capitals.

The whole is inside bollards bearing a chain link fence, and there are stone flower pots.

1. The civilian casualties were the result of a bomb dropping on Argyll Street on 8th November 1941.

2. The site was originally a traffic island. The Welcome Home Fund agreed that the adjoining half of the traffic island should be made into a garden. They also agreed on the erection of the electric light.

3. Alnmouth Parish Council had accepted some German howitzers as war trophies, and proposed setting them in concrete, but local lads threw them out.

4. The memorial originally had the names incised into the stone. It was after the 1939-45 war that it was decided to place the names from both wars on to bronze plaques.

5. The Memorial is featured on the Alnmouth Village Map tapestry, which was displayed in the Unique Northumberland exhibition at Alnwick Castle in June 2000.

6. Work done 2012 with help from War Memorials Trust.

Rededication April 2014

Historic England Listing

Alnmouth War Memorial

Photos: J. Brown; P. Thirkell; Rodney Higgins; photos of tapestry: J. Brown; old postcards: Tony Harding

Alnwick and County Gazette
13/07/1921 reports proposed unveiling;
20/07/1921 reports fully on the unveiling, and carries a photograph from the “Illustrated Chronicle”.

Illustrated Chronicle
16/07/1921 reports proposed unveiling;
25/07/1921 reports unveiling with photos.

Morpeth Herald
10/09/1920 carries report of throwing out of war trophies;
29/07/1921 reports unveiling;
15/04/1949 reports intention to erect plaques and proposed unveiling;
13/05/1949 reports unveiling.

Newcastle Daily Chronicle
25/07/1921 reports unveiling;
28/07/1921 reports garden fete to raise outstanding funding.

Newcastle Weekly Chronicle
30/07/1921 reports unveiling with photo.

Northumberland Gazette
14/01/1994 reports vandalism.

Northumberland Record Office
Minutes of Welcome Home Fund PC 35/40

Morpeth County Library
Frith collection of photographs.

Around Alnmouth John Yearnshire, Sunderland, The People’s Press 2000, ISBN 1 903534 03 8 includes photos of Mrs Scholefield and of some of those who served, and some who died, from Alnmouth. Page 36 has a photo of Mr and Mrs Yearnshire and there are individual photos of their six sons in uniform.

Source of quotation:
“See that you conquer . . .” Not ascertained.

David Wilkinson and Jim Shepherd (East Coquet L.H.S.);
Janet Brown;
Rodney Higgins;
Sally Bird;
Barbara Harbottle;
Philip Thirkell;
Tony Harding;
Dorothy Hall

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