North Eastern Railway War Memorial facts for kids
Quick facts for kids North Eastern Railway War Memorial |
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| United Kingdom | |
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| For employees of the North Eastern Railway killed in the First World War | |
| Unveiled | 1924 |
| Location | 53°57′31″N 1°05′23″W / 53.958658°N 1.089814°W Station Approach, York, England
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| Designed by | Sir Edwin Lutyens |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name | North Eastern Railway Company War Memorial |
| Designated | 10 September 1970 |
| Reference no. | 1256553 |
The North Eastern Railway War Memorial is a special monument in York, England. It was built to remember the many workers from the North Eastern Railway (NER) who died fighting in the First World War. The famous architect Sir Edwin Lutyens designed it.
The NER company decided in 1920 to spend £20,000 on this memorial. They hired Lutyens for the job. At the same time, the city of York also wanted a war memorial and chose Lutyens too. However, there was a big discussion because the two memorials were planned to be very close, and the city's budget was much smaller than the railway company's. People also worried about how the NER memorial would look next to the old city walls.
To solve the problem, Lutyens changed his plans for the NER memorial, moving it further from the walls. The city of York also changed its plan, choosing a different spot for its memorial. The land for the city's memorial was actually owned by the NER, and they kindly gave it to the city. The NER memorial was officially revealed on 14 June 1924 by a military leader named Lord Plumer. It stands 54 feet (about 16 meters) tall and has a special stone called the Stone of Remembrance. The memorial is a very important historical site, known as a grade II* listed building.
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Why Was the Memorial Built?
The North Eastern Railway (NER) was a huge company in northern England. During the First World War, over 18,000 of its employees left their jobs to join the armed forces. Many of them joined a special army group called the 17th (North Eastern Railway) Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers. Sadly, by the end of the war, 2,236 men from the company had died. Some were killed overseas, while others died in attacks closer to home, like the raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby or Zeppelin raids on York.
After the war, many memorials were built across Britain to remember those who died. Sir Edwin Lutyens was one of the most important architects who designed these memorials. He also designed The Cenotaph in London, which is a very famous war memorial. He also created the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, which is the biggest British war memorial in the world. Lutyens also designed the Stone of Remembrance, a special stone found in many large war cemeteries and memorials, including the one for the North Eastern Railway.
The North Eastern Railway War Memorial is one of several buildings in York connected to the old railway company. These include the company's main office and the city's first railway station. The memorial was placed right next to the company's head office, on land that used to be a coal storage area.
How the Memorial Was Planned
In April 1919, the NER board decided they wanted a war memorial that was "ornamental," meaning it should be beautiful, not just useful. They first thought about asking their workers for money, but the workers didn't like that idea. So, the company decided to pay for it themselves. In February 1920, they agreed to spend £20,000 to design and build the memorial. They officially hired Lutyens in October 1921. He was chosen because he was a very popular and respected architect at the time.
The project became part of a big discussion, especially because the city of York was also planning its own war memorial. The city also hired Lutyens. His plan for the city's memorial was a Stone of Remembrance near Lendal Bridge, only about 100 yards (91 meters) from where the NER memorial would be. Lutyens thought the two memorials would look good together. However, the city only had £2,000 for its memorial, which was much less than the NER's budget. Some people in York worried that the railway company's much larger memorial would make the city's memorial seem small. Others were concerned that visitors arriving at the railway station would see the NER memorial first. Lutyens, however, believed that having both memorials close by would show a shared purpose.
The location near York's old city walls also caused problems. Both memorial plans needed approval from the Ancient Monuments Board (now part of Historic England). Lutyens' first design for the NER memorial was very close to the city walls and would have needed digging into the old ramparts. A local history group strongly disagreed with this. The NER's own architect suggested moving the memorial 10 feet (3 meters) away from the wall. Lutyens, who was in India at the time, quickly said no to this idea.
In February 1922, a local historian gave a speech criticizing the NER's plan. He felt it was a shame to damage the old city walls for the new memorial. To help solve the issue, the NER built a full-size wooden model of their planned memorial. On 8 July 1922, officials met to discuss the plans. The city's memorial plan was approved because its location was not actually part of the ancient walls. However, Lutyens was asked to change his design for the NER memorial to move it away from the wall. He agreed, but noted that this would make the wall smaller, meaning fewer names could be listed on it. His revised designs were approved in October 1922.
The remaining issues were mostly solved when the city decided to put its memorial in a different spot, off Leeman Road, just outside the city walls. They also chose a simpler cross design because they didn't have enough money. By chance, the land for the city's memorial was owned by the railway company. The NER board gave this land to the city as a thank you for their good relationship. By this time, the NER had joined with other companies to form the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER).
What Does the Memorial Look Like?
The memorial is made from Portland stone and stands against the city walls. It has a tall, 30-foot (9-meter) obelisk that rises from a three-step base. This base is set into the back of a three-sided wall. The wall forms a sheltered space where the Stone of Remembrance stands. The two side walls have urn-shaped decorations at their ends. The inside of the walls is decorated with carved laurel wreaths and swags (like draped garlands). The back wall also has these swags around the obelisk.
The North Eastern Railway's coat of arms is carved on the base of the obelisk, surrounded by another laurel wreath. The obelisk itself reaches a total height of 54 feet (16 meters). The Stone of Remembrance is a large, altar-shaped stone, 12 feet (3.7 meters) long. It is very simple, with only one inscription: "THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE."
The main dedication is carved in the middle of the back wall. It says: "IN REMEMBRANCE OF THOSE MEN OF THE NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY THE COMPANY PLACES THIS MONUMENT." The dates of the First World War are written on either side. The names of the 2,236 men who died were carved onto panels on the wall. In 1984, 15 more stone slates were added to the floor behind the Stone of Remembrance. These slates list the names of 551 LNER workers who died in the Second World War.
The Memorial's Story Over Time
The North Eastern Railway War Memorial was built after Lutyens' changed design was approved. It was officially revealed on 14 June 1924. Herbert Plumer, 1st Baron Plumer (a famous military leader) unveiled it, and the Archbishop of York dedicated it. About five to six thousand people gathered for the ceremony, including many important city and railway officials. Soldiers stood guard around the Stone of Remembrance.
One of the speakers was Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon, who was on the NER board. He spoke about the great losses of the war, mentioning that many of his colleagues had lost sons. At the end of the service, a bugle call called the "Last Post" was played, and everyone observed two minutes of silence. The city of York's own war memorial was unveiled a year later.
Over time, the carvings on the memorial, especially the names, started to wear away from the weather. In the 1980s, restoration work was done to re-carve some parts. This work was paid for by donations from a group of ex-servicemen from British Railways. However, the erosion continued. Instead of re-carving the names again and possibly damaging the memorial further, the names were recorded in a special book. This book is now kept at the National Railway Museum.
The memorial was given a special protection status on 10 September 1970. It became a grade II* listed building. This means it is a "particularly important building of more than special interest" and is protected from being torn down or changed. Only about 5.5% of listed buildings have this high status. In November 2015, during the 100th anniversary of the First World War, all of Lutyens' war memorials in England were recognized as a national collection. Their protection status was reviewed and updated. As part of this, the York City memorial was also upgraded to grade II* to match the NER's memorial.
