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 Nicholson War Memorial Bell Tower - Leek, UK Posted by:  dtrebilc
N 53° 06.333 W 002° 01.235
30U E 565567 N 5884460
This combined clock and bell tower was built to commemorate the son of Sir Arthur and Lady Nicholson and the other sons of Leek and surrounding neighbourhood who died in the First World War.
Waymark Code: WM11JHN
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/01/2019
Views: 4
A nearby information board has information about the history of the memorial.
The Facts
• 90 feet or 27m high
• Constructed from Portland stone (exterior), and red brick (interior).
• Designed by Thomas Worthington & Sons of Manchester.
• Built by E.A. Frith of Macclesfield with additional works by Mr Thomas Grace of Leek.
• The four clock faces are 2.06m in diameter and the five bells weigh 1.2 metric tonnes.
• Cost £16,000 or approximately £670,000 in 2011.
• Stands on the site formerly known as Sparrow Park. The area was also used as a cattle market and for community entertainments.
• Commemorates 535 men and women of Leek who died during the First and Second World Wars.
In Loving Memory
Sir Arthur Nicholson, a major silk manufacturer in Leek, and Lady Marianne Nicholson commissioned and paid for this memorial in memory of their son, Basil, and all the sons of Leek who died in the First World War.
Lieutenant Basil Lee Nicholson was an officer in the Old Leek Battery, a mounted territorial unit of the Royal Field Artillery. He was shot and killed by a sniper just off the Menin Road at Ypres, Belgium in 1915, and is buried in Dranoutre Churchyard; he was just 24 years old.
The names of the battles that the Leek Battery fought in are recorded around the top of the building; Somme and Ypres will be familiar names but the others were also the scenes of vicious fighting between 1914 and 1918.
The majority of the Fallen commemorated here from both World Wars fought and died with infantry regiments, notably the North Staffords and the Royal Fusiliers. A number were lost serving with the Royal Navy or the Royal Air Force.
Cherished and Prized for all time
In 2011 Leek Town Council sought and received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the building. The Council continues to maintain and preserve the Nicholson War Memorial as they were charged to do by Sir Arthur Nicholson when he formally handed it over on the 20th August 1925. This dedication ceremony was attended by many thousands of Leek people and presided over by Basil's elder brother Lt Colonel Falkner Nicholson.
Further information can be found at www.nicholsonmemorial.org.uk
You can download our self-guide leaflet, audio-tour or find the date of the next guided tour or Remembrance Service.
To learn more about Leek's history you can visit the local history archives at the Nicholson Institute, located between the museum and art gallery.
Address of Tower:
Nicholson War Memorial
Ashbourne Road
Leek, Staffordshire United Kingdom
ST13 6JP
Still Operational: yes
Number of bells in tower?: 5
Relevant website?: [Web Link]
Rate tower: 
Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Yes
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Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the tower taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this tower and any other interesting information you learned about it while there.
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