Summary
A First World War memorial, built around 1921.
Description
A First World War memorial, built around 1921
MATERIALS: the memorial is carved from rough-hewn Cornish granite with leaded inscriptions.
PLAN: the memorial is roughly square on plan and stands within a rectangular area of hardstanding on the west side of Pooley Lane.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is in the form of a tapered pillar with a carved finial in the form of a flame. It is set upon a pedestal surmounting a five-stepped plinth with a shallow, shaped base. It is surrounded by eight smaller pillars with carved, pointed finials. The hardstanding to the east side of the memorial has been inlaid with setts in the form of two crosses.
The names of the 32 workers who lost their lives are inscribed on the north and south faces of the pedestal. The east face of the memorial reads: ‘THIS PILLAR OF REMEMBRANCE / IS ERECTED BY THE WORKPEOPLE / AND OWNERS OF POOLEY HALL / COLLIERY TO THE UNDYING / MEMORY OF THOSE FROM THIS MINE / WHO ANSWERED THE NATION'S CALL / AND FELL IN THE GREAT WAR. / 1914-1919’. On the west face are the words: ‘WHO STANDS IF FREEDOM FALL? / WHO DIES IF ENGLAND LIVE?’
History
The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
A memorial was raised at Pooley Hall Colliery in Polesworth as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 32 workers from the mine who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was designed by Charles Henry Mitchell, a monumental mason, landscape painter and local historian based in Tamworth. It was unveiled on 25 September 1921 by Lieutenant General Sir John Kier.
Reasons for Listing
Pooley Hall Colliery War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic Interest:
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural Interest:
* as a well-executed stone obelisk featuring a carved finial in the form of a flame, symbolic of the perpetual gratitude towards, and remembrance of, the war dead.
External Links
External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.
Recommended Books
Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Old House Care and Repair
Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper