Memorials Of The Great War

War Memorial Of The Month - January 2016

North Eastern Railway Company, York

click on the images to enlarge

 To protect and promote the spirit and substance of the work of Sir Edwin Lutyens OM

York has two war memorials by Lutyens, both of which have protracted histories.  The North Eastern Railway Company considered locations in Darlington and Newcastle for a memorial to its staff before, not surprisingly, choosing York, where it had its headquarters.  The company’s AGM on 20 February 1920 decided to allocate £20,000 for the project and that Lutyens should be approached as architect.  He was duly appointed in October 1921 at a fee of £700 plus expenses.

The chosen site, alongside the city walls (which were formally recognised as an Ancient Monument) provoked controversy, which was only resolved following a meeting convened by the Ancient Monuments Board in July 1922.  By a curious twist, by the time that the memorial was unveiled on 14 June 1924 by Lord Plumer, the NERC had ceased to exist having been incorporated into the London North Eastern Railway.

The names of the fallen are carved upon the memorial but, because of increasing problems of illegibility caused by erosion of the limestone, a list of names is contained in the nearby National Railway Museum.

Location: Station Road, York, YO1 6GD

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