Clitheroe Castle War Memorial to be refurbished in time for Remembrance Sunday
Clitheroe Town Council has unanimously approved a comprehensive programme of works to refurbish the town’s war memorial in the grounds of Clitheroe Castle.
The work is expected to start later this month and will be completed in time for the annual Remembrance Sunday service, which this year takes place on Sunday, November 9th – with further acts of remembrance taking place on Armistice Day – Tuesday, November 11th.
The refurbishment process will be carried out by a Manchester-based firm of bronze restoration specialists after a survey highlighted some maintenance priorities with the memorial. The entire structure will be professionally cleaned and refurbished – including the three plaques bearing the names of the fallen – with the full costs met by the town council.
The memorial, featuring a full-size bronze stature of a grenadier guard, was erected in August 1923 and the town council looks after the memorial and surrounding gardens in conjunction with Ribble Valley Borough Council.
During the restoration work, scaffolding will be erected, meaning the memorial will not be accessible to members of the public for several days in September and October.
Clitheroe Town Mayor Coun. Michael Graveston said: “The Remembrance Sunday commemoration attracts thousands of people to the castle to remember those who served their country.
“We take its responsibility for the upkeep of this treasured memorial extremely seriously and feel proud to be in a position to restore the striking figure of a soldier remembering fallen comrades to its former glory.
“While the bill for the restoration and refurbishment is likely to run to five figures, it’s a small price to pay to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”