Morley War Memorial, Scatcherd Park

Morley War Memorial
53°44′52″N 1°36′12″W / 53.74772°N 1.60337°W / 53.74772; -1.60337
Location	Scatcherd Park, Morley, Leeds, England
Designer	Walter Gilbert (sculptor)
Material	Bronze, granite
Height	22 ft

The Morley War Memorial is a British national war memorial situated in Scatcherd Park, Morley, Leeds, England.^[1] Sculpted by Walter Henry Gilbert and cast by H. H. Martyn and Co., it was unveiled 21 May 1927 by Alderman Joseph Kirk and accepted by Mayor Alderman Thomas Marshall. The war memorial was added to the National Heritage List for England on 17 June 1986 as a Grade II listed structure.^[2][3]

This memorial commemorates the residents of Morley who were killed in the First World War, with 453 names and the Second World War with 110 names. It was renovated in 2008 and rededicated 29 June the same year.^[4][5]

Description

The memorial consists of a statue cast in bronze surmounting a granite plinth, the statue portrays Britannia in a Roman dress holding a trident aloft in her right hand and a statue of a winged man kneeling on one knee in her left hand, symbolising "victory". Located on her bodice is the royal emblem of 3 rampant lions, she is also wearing an elaborate plumed helmet with seahorses to either side. It is 22 feet tall including both statue and plinth.^[6]

Behind is a wall bearing name panels. The panels on the left gives us the names of those from Morley and Churwell, while the one on the right lists those from, Gildersome, Drighlington, East Ardsley and West Ardsley. At the base of the plinth a small plaque entitled "Also Remembered" was added in June 2008 listing a further 11 names.

Inscription

The inscription remains legible, it is located on the pedestal of the figure and reads:

Remember
the men of this
borough of Morley
who seeking the
welfare of their
country laid down their lives
in the Great War and
are now resting beyond the seas on wall:
1914–1918
at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them 1939–1945 ^[7]

Gallery