Willaston War Memorial
Colleys Lane, Willaston, CW5 6NR
History of the the war memorial
On 28th February 1920 a parish meeting was held to decide the form a village memorial should take. The most popular suggestion was a village hall which was moved by Mr Trickett. Cllr William E Birchall proposed the purchase of land for a playing field where a monument could be erected and at a later date a hall could be built. The majority voted in favour of a village hall and a memorial. And so a War Memorial Committee was appointed.
In early June 1920 the Willaston War Memorial Committee were exploring possible sites for the war memorial to be erected. The sites considered were Birchin Lane and in front of the County School on Crewe Road. The Rural District Council said there was not sufficient space in front of the School and so it seemed that Birchin Lane would be the location of the Willaston War Memorial.
Birchin Lane is of course today in Nantwich, but until the 1930s Birchin Lane was in Willaston. If this site did become the location of the War Memorial then perhaps the east of Churche’s Mansion/Millstone Lane would have remained as Willaston?
On the 12th June 1920 the Willaston War Memorial Committee were informed that the Chairman of Willaston Parish Council and Chairman of Nantwich Rural District Council, Councillor W. E. Birchall had generously gifted land on west corner of Colleys Lane and Crewe Road to be the location of the War Memorial.
This gift of land considerably widened the junction and allowed for the Memorial to be positioned in the centre where the lane would fork either-side to create an appropriate setting.
The War memorial was unveiled on Sunday 14th November 1920.
2020 saw the centenary of the War memorial. A full clean and restoration was carried out so as to reveal the rich sand stone.
A civic flag pole and a 'Tommy' statue were added to the war memorial area in November 2018.
The War memorial is listed on the Imperial War museum memorial register, this also includes a record of the names which appear on the memorial.