Middleton Garden of Remembrance listed as Grade II

The war memorial, perimeter walls and the gallery of the Middleton Garden of Remembrance on Manchester Old Road, Middleton has been listed as Grade II by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of English Heritage.

The war memorial, which was built in 1927, with the other parts of the garden added after the end of the Second World War, commemorates those from Middleton who lost their lives fighting in both world wars.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller also announced this weekend that English Heritage intends to list up to 500 war memorials a year over the next five years. To do this, she is calling on the public to nominate their local memorials to be considered for listing.

It currently isn’t known how many war memorials there are. With only 1,300 examples currently on the National Heritage List for England, it is believed that less than 10 percent of free-standing war memorials are presently listed.

Listing the country’s war memorials is one of several English Heritage projects which will research and record for future generations the as yet unknown or little known impact of the First World War on the buildings and landscapes of England.

Designation Director at English Heritage, Roger Bowdler added: “Researching, recording and recommending up to 2,500 more war memorials for listing over the next five years is a major task but one that English Heritage is proud to undertake.
These memorials will gain a place on the National Heritage List for England to tell the story of this country’s sacrifice and struggle.”

War memorials are poignant reminders of the effects of tragic world events on local communities. Most casualties were buried where they fell and these local memorials provide a focus for remembrance.