Heanor Memorial Park
At the conclusion of the Second World War, in Heanor as in other towns and villages across the country, people’s thoughts turned towards providing a fitting memorial for those men killed in the hostilities. Following the previous war, the town raised a memorial which still stands proudly in front of St. Lawrence’s church. But this time, the ambition was to create something different, something that would not only help us to remember those who had died, but which would also give something to the wider community. (For more on War Memorials in the area visit the War Memorials page.)
A public meeting was held at the Town Hall on 31 October 1945, which resolved to
lay-
A Committee, chaired by Councillor T. Saxton, was established, and fund-
Work began on the project as soon as the first £1000 had been raised, by subscription,
and fund-
Of particular note were the two sets of gates acquired for the park. The main gates, opposite Mundy Street, came from the Derby Lodge entrance to Shipley Hall, and were donated by Shipley Collieries Ltd. They were renovated by Oakley and Grant of Ashbourne Road, Derby, and set on new pillars made of Stancliffe stone erected by Bullock & Son of Heanor. The secondary gates, opposite the Miners’ Welfare, came from the gardens of Shipley Hall, which was demolished shortly after the war, and the pillars were erected by Vic Hallam Ltd. The cost of renovating and erecting these gates was specifically met by the residents of Marlpool and Langley.
Heanor Memorial Park was formally opened on 28 April 1951 by the Duke of Devonshire,
and a dedication service was led by the Archdeacon of Chesterfield, assisted by a
cross-
137 local men are named on the Memorial in the park, as having given the final sacrifice
on behalf of their country. In due course, the Heanor Urban District Council passed
on to Amber Valley Borough Council, who now have responsibility for the park. In
the 1980s, the Second World War Memorial was supplemented by a small additional memorial
plaque commemorating those who died in the Falklands Conflict of 1982. The Memorial
Park, as well as the memorials themselves, is a fitting tribute to all those who
died, and reflects well upon those who gave their hard-
The new memorial park seen from the Church Tower, 1950s
Sukie’s Pond in 2009.
Cutting the first sod -
The main gates to the Memorial Park, taken from the programme for the opening day.
The small gates.
Opening day -
Work on completing the War Memorial.