Lewis War Memorial facts for kids
The Lewis War Memorial is a special tower in Stornoway, Scotland. It was built to remember the brave men from the Isle of Lewis who died in World War I. It also honors those who lost their lives when the ship HMY Iolaire sank in 1919. This important memorial was finished in 1924. You can find it at the highest point in Stornoway.
What Does the Memorial Look Like?
This memorial is a tall tower, about 85 feet (26 meters) high. It stands on a hill called Cnoc nan Uan, just outside Stornoway. The tower is made from strong local stone called Gneiss. It also has smooth Aberdeenshire granite.
Inside, there's an entrance room that is 20 feet (6 meters) tall. There are also four other rooms. Each room is dedicated to one of the four areas, or parishes, of Lewis. A staircase made of metal and granite goes all the way up the tower. It leads to a small room at the very top.
The Story Behind the Memorial
People in Stornoway first met in January 1920. They wanted to create a memorial for the island's men. These men had died during the Great War (World War I) from 1914-1918. They also wanted to remember those lost in the sad sinking of the HMY Iolaire ship.
A fundraising effort began to collect money. Lord Leverhulme, who owned the Isle of Lewis, gave £5,000. Building the memorial was expected to cost over £10,000. However, the final cost was actually £4,000.
Mr J. H. Hall from Aberdeen designed the memorial tower. It was completed in June 1924. The inside parts and the special plaques were finished by August of that year. In 1971, the tower became a Category B listed building. This means it is an important historical building.
Repairs and Restoration
The tower was closed to visitors in 1975. This was because the stonework and the metal staircase inside were getting old. Repairs were done in 1981 and 1982 to fix the leaks and other damage.
Since the inside of the tower was still not safe, the memorial plaques were moved outside in 2002. They were placed along a new path for visitors.
More repair work and inside restoration happened in 2017. The War Memorials Trust gave a large grant of £132,000. The Western Isles Council also gave £100,000. This was the biggest grant ever given by the War Memorials Trust for their program.
The work was finished by October 2017. It included replacing the windows and the roof. The inside walls were also repaired with a special breathable material. The main door of the memorial was painted a bright poppy red.
