Conservation – 2012-2016
In 2012 it was apparent that the SCWM is not in a good state. It was dirty, significant mortar loss, extensive lichen and moss plus a failed repair on the base, which was damaged when the cross fell off in 1982. The bronze plaques appeared to be in good condition, perfectly legible.
More critically, the SCWM appeared to be leaning with apparent subsidence on the west side and it was this above all else that required a Conservation Architect, along with a structural engineer, to determine if this was a problem that required rectification or if the SCWM could be considered stable (the lean was not a visual problem).
At the time, neither the Church nor Parish Council were interested in conserving the Memorial. Therefore, the Tutbury War Memorials Preservation Committee (TWMPC) was formed to raise funds and conserve the Memorial.
Faculties were raised to obtain permission from the Church of England, funds were raised (principally from the War Memorials Trust (WMT)). The War Memorial was subsequently conserved, and an extra ring of pavers laid around the Memorial to improve access.
The Memorial was re-dedicated by the Bishop of Stafford, the Rt. Rev. Geoffrey Annas, on 1st July 2016, one hundred years to the day after the first day of the Battle of the Somme. On that day, seven men from Tutbury were killed, one of who was Lt William Trafford Newton, Approximately 150 people attended the ceremony and about half of those attending were descendants of those whose names were listed on the Memorial, both First snd Second World War.
St. Mary’s has a tradition of laying Wreaths on the memorial on Remembrance Sunday and removing them on 1st October the following year. The Wreath Holders were recommended by the WMT to avoid lichen and stains on the stonework from the Wreaths.
The Wreath Holders were subsequently designed by the TWMPC and created by a local company with another local company doing the new paving.
The stone for both the extra ring of pavers and the Wreath Holder pavers was chosen to be a close match for the existing Hollington stone – weathering over a few years will create a good match.
Overall, the conservation and the Wreath Holders cost about £20,000.
More information on the conservation can be found in Tutbury Remembers – Volume VI – Conservation of the Stone Cross War Memorial (planned for late 2020)
