"The Stone of Remembrance:
"The Buxton Advertiser" of the 20th June 1924 reported that on the previous Sunday, the 14th June, at the Whitsuntide Church Service, St James, Harpur Hill, a 'War Memorial Tablet Flower Stand' was dedicated. It had kindly been donated by Mr Laurence Wardle. So that the family and friends of the dead could lay flowers and wreaths and the wind would not blow them away. This was before the main war memorial was built. It is not clear what, if any, relative Laurence was to Robert Wardle's family. In 1924 he was aged 63 and a "Stone Mason".
About the same time Buxton Lime Firm Co Ltd gave land to the village for the erection of a War Memorial and allowed their workmen, many of whom were former workmates of the dead soldiers, to transport the stone and build the surrounding walls and pillars.
The Harpur Hill Memorial, on Burlow Road, is of a unique design, chosen because of the link between both the area and the men to the quarry industry. It takes the form of a rough-hewn limestone boulder on a pedestal of random limestone blocks, and weighs about 9 tons [about 8165 kgs.]. The Harpur Hill Memorial was dedicated in the same year - 1928.
The stone for this work came from the local Hoffman Quarry and was dragged on a bogie, via the old road at the back of Burlow Cottages. The original Memorial was located in an area enclosed by walls and posts made from the same limestone. Ornamental chains linked corners of the posts. A bronze plaque designed by L F Roslyn, R.B.S., London, on the front face of the Memorial lists the names of the brave local Quarrymen who died in the Great War. [Roslyn also designed The Slopes Memorial.]
As early as 1981, however, the site of the Memorial came under pressure from conflicting demands. When the Memorial was first built it occupied a position in the open centre of the village next to a bowling green and club house built for the quarry workers.
Had it not been for the work of Carol Gilman and her mother Betty
Lindsay things might well have been worse. They lobbied the
Department for Culture, Media and Sport and enlisted the help of
Friends of the War Memorials, the Local Council and the Women's
Institute. Eventually the Memorial was restored and is now a Grade
2 listed building.
'The Buxton Advertiser' of the 2nd December 1998 carried a photo
of the restoration work in progress and mentioned the contribution
of the local Women's Institute and the High Peak Community Service
team."
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"A cairn-like structure bearing a bronze plaque. The limestone cairn is formed from a base of stones fitted together in a random pattern, similar to the style of local dry stone walling, and supporting a massive boulder. The 6 o'clock face of the boulder bears a bronze plaque in the form of a scroll unfurled over a bound wreath of laurel and oak leaves. The scroll bears the inscription and names in upright capital raised block lettering, and the maker's mark is on the lower margin in similar but smaller lettering. The whole is surrounded by a low stone wall and chains.
Inscription
Plaque: TO THE/ MEMORY OF THE MEN/ OF/ HARPUR HILL/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN/ THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1919 / (Names) Lower margin of plaque: L. F. ROSLYN R.B.S./ LONDON"
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