Hartburn Village War Memorial

Description

The memorial in the hamlet of Hartburn is another one of Lutyens’s simple war crosses and lies at the heart of the village in Northumberland. It was donated by Mr and Mrs Frederic Straker of Angerton Hall nearby, for whom Lutyens had laid out the garden in conjunction with Gertrude Jekyll in 1904.

The cross was built by a local mason Mr J Robinson of Clay House, Meldon and unveiled by Colonel E P A Riddell CMG, DSO, the commander of the Northumberland Infantry Brigade on 31 July 1921.

As well as the dates of the two wars it contains a simple inscription “Pass Friend All Is Well”, a phrase used by sentries on guard duty. (Contributor: Tim Skelton)

Hartburn’s war memorial was paid for by Mr and Mrs Straker of the nearby Angerton Hall, for whom Lutyens and his long-time collaborator Gertrude Jekyll had designed the Hall’s gardens in 1904. It was built by HJ Robinson of Clay House, Meldon, and was unveiled on 31 July 1921 by Colonel EPA Riddell CMG DSO, the commander of the Northumberland Infantry Brigade.

Sir Edwin Lutyens OM RA (1869-1944) was the leading English architect of his generation. Before the First World War his reputation rested on his country houses and his work at New Delhi, but during and after the war he became the pre-eminent architect for war memorials in England, France and the British Empire. While the Cenotaph in Whitehall (London) had the most influence on other war memorials, the Thiepval Arch was the most influential on other forms of architecture. He designed the Stone of Remembrance which was placed in all Imperial War Graves Commission cemeteries and in some cemeteries in England, including some with which he was not otherwise associated.

Details
Hartburn’s war memorial stands on a small triangular green in the centre of the hamlet. It comprises a War Cross with deeply bevelled edges set on a chunky, two-stepped, base. On the south face of the base is inscribed PASS FRIEND ALL IS WELL/ 1914 HARTBURN 1919. On the north face is 1939 HARTBURN 1945. (Historic England, list entry 1042078)

Bibliography

Historic England. Hartburn War Memorial. [Online] Available from: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1042078

Also Cited In

Gliddon, G. and Skelton, T.J. (2008) Lutyens and the Great War. London: Frances Lincoln.

Listing Grade

II

Listing Reference

1042078

Client