The first foundation stone for the War Memorial was laid in 1923 and contains the following inscription:
'In memory of the men of Stockport who fell in the Great War (1914-1918)'.
The Hall Of Memory is a semi-circular apse and in the centre of which is a comanding sculpture made of white marble. The entrance to the hall is supported by two Cippolino (Greek) marble columns with bronze capitals. The walls are faced with Botticino Maazano (Italian) marble whilst the skirting and frieze are in a beautiful texture of green Tinos (Greek) marble.
The tablets upon which are engraved the names of the fallen are of statuary white Italian marble. The floor is of Hautville and Belgian black marble.
The Hall of Memory, which rises to the full height of the building is permanetly lit by the four corner bronze pedestal lamps and the Group of Sculpture by a spotlight and daylight through a glass roof dome.
Gilbert Ledward created the magnificent sculpture in White Italian marble which symbolises " the ideal of the sacrifce and the devotion of the 2200 men of Stockport who fell in the war.
The Statuary consists of two figures, Braitannia and a man, both of them life-sized, raised on a pedestal, Britannia standing at the back making a total height of 11ft. Britannia stands draped with a flag, holding in her right hand the sword of honour and in her left the laurel wreath of the victor. Before her is a kneeling figure symbolic of the men who fell in the war. Victory is again expressed by the serpent crushed beneath the shield at the man's feet and the great sacrifice is signified by the broken sword held by the man.
It was believed that there would be about 1,700 names to be inscribed to the Memorial, but in fact, after careful scrutiny of casualty lists, reference to official records and the cooperation of relatives, the figure increased to 2,200.
Additional tablets were added to the Memorial in 1952 bearing the names of the service people who had lost their lives during the Second World War: 1939-1945. Two more tablets were being added in 1983 bearing the names of service people who lost their lives in the Falklands Campaign, Korea and Northern Ireland.
Previously in 1832, this site had been the home of Stockport Grammar School, which was vacated on the erection of the school at Mile End.
Opening Hours
Tuesday - Friday: 1pm - 5pm
Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Sunday: 11am - 5pm
Mondays: Closed
Open Bank Holidays except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day