War Memorials Trust has partnered with North Tyneside Council in an £85,000 initiative to revitalise war memorials ahead of this year’s Remembrance Day.

Funding from both the charity and the council has allowed restoration work to begin on monuments in Tynemouth, North Shields and Dudley.

The work will see the Grade II Boer war memorial on village green in Tynemouth undergo a comprehensive refurbishment, including cleaning, repairing cracks, replacing weathered finials along with the restoration of bronze plaques.

In North Shields, the project will see the Hawkeys Lane memorial cleaned, repointed, and its inscriptions re-carved.

placeholder image — North Shields, Hawkey Lane Memorial.

Finally, in Dudley, a first world war memorial located on Market Street has already been cleaned, with work to replace a missing anchor section also underway.

The initiative, carried out by the Classic Masonry of Tynemouth, combined with the councils annual cleaning program, means the monuments will be looking pristine in time to mark the occasion for this years remembrance Sunday.

North Tyneside’s Deputy Mayor, Carl Johnson, spoke out on the initiative: “We have been working closely with local conservation experts and the War Memorials Trust to bring this important work forward. Many of our memorials are old, fragile, and costly to repair, so we've sought expert guidance and funding to undertake these restorations.”

Expanding on the sentimental significance of the project, the councillor said: “This project reflects our deep commitment to honouring those who gave their lives in major conflicts, and ensuring these landmarks remain a focal point for future generations.”

The project follows a £100,000 investment in 2018 and 2019, which successfully restored 22 of North Tyneside’s memorials in partnership with the War Memorials Trust and Historic England.