War memorial could be taken down and moved from site in Doncaster town

Plans have been drawn up to re-locate Bawtry's war memorial - and they could move forward as soon as April.
Bawtry war memorialBawtry war memorial
Bawtry war memorial

Official in the town want to shift the monument away from the main road through the town, because they believe its current location makes it impossible for people to gather around the structure.

Now a planning application has gone in to Doncaster Council, asking for permission to dismantle the structure, which is nearly 100 years old, and rebuild it piece-by-piece next to Bawtry Community Library on Doncaster Road.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bawtry Town Council clerk Angela Harrison said: "We have put in the planning application, and we want to do it as soon as possible. We're just finalising some last minute checks.

"Hopeful it could be done in April if we're lucky, but we're waiting for final consent from planners.

"We have applied for funding from the War Memorials Trust, and we're awaiting for the outcome of that bid, but the town council was always going to part fund it, and if we cannot get the money from the trust, then we have budgeted for the work.

"But this is about making sure that people can look at the memorial in safety."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The memorial is currently on the A614 on the way into the town from the south.

A report from Anthony Snowden, architect, which has been sent to the council with the planning application, states: "The main reason for re-location is so that the public can gain safe 24 hour access to the memorial. The current position is not suitable, access via the grounds of Bawtry Hall is limited and without permission the small access gates from Bawtry Hall land are padlocked. Access from the roadside is dangerous due to the proximity of the road.

"If accessed from the roadside there is limited capacity for people to congregate at the steps to the memorial and adjacent to the hexagonal base to the monument. The proposed relocation will enable safe parking near to the monument and access via public land."

The memorial was gifted to Bawtry town council by the owners of Bawtry Hall at the time, the Peake family, whose son was one of the men commemorated by the memorial.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It has been suggested that a plaque is put at the site of the existing memorial to mark the original location, with signs at planned new site explaining the history so members of the public are aware of the significance of the original location and the reasons for the move.

It is planned that the memorial would also be cleaned.