Lytham War Memorial Gardens
Lytham War Memorial Gardens
Lytham War Memorial Garden is a compact formal landscaped site and is situated directly in the centre of Lytham Town centre.
Visitors and residents are attracted to the gardens as they provide idyllic surroundings to enjoy the peace and quiet, in the otherwise bustling town centre. The Gardens are an example of horticultural excellence and are maintained to an incredibly high standard.
History
The triangle of land where the Memorial Gardens now lie have been a part of the historic landscape of Lytham from at least the early 19th Century, as the historic map shows.
The mid 19th Century saw the introduction on the site of the market hall, built in 1848. Although the market never became popular the building was converted into a retail and business premises and is still in use today. The second map c. 1890 shows the hall on the site.
Towards the end of the 19th Century saw the introduction of a Memorial Drinking Fountain to the site. The fountain was erected c. 1882 to commemorate John Talbot Clifton of Lytham Hall.
John Clifton Talbot was a great traveller and explorer in his youth, only settling down, in Lytham, at the age of 39 when he was married. He was a great benefactor of both Lytham and St Anne's, having laid the foundation stone for the latter when aged seven.
The Memorial Fountain remained a feature of the Gardens until 1920, when it was moved to Station Square to make way for the War Memorial. The War Memorial was erected to commemorate those lost in the First World War. The Memorial has since been altered to Commemorate those lost in the Second World War to present day. Both the Water Fountain and War Memorial are grade II listed.
The Restoration
In 2007 the memorial and gardens benefited from a £55,000 restoration scheme funded by Fylde Borough Council. The project was completed in partnership with Lytham in Bloom who were integral in the gaining of the capital funds for the project and in gauging the local community’s desires for the site. The local consultation with the community and businesses was undertaken in the development stage of the project. Each phase of the work was also the subject of consultation focusing on the specific aspect of the work. An example of this is the involvement of English Heritage in relation to the restoration of the memorial.
The works included in the scheme involved the resurfacing and surface dressing of the existing footpaths, de-cluttering the landscape in terms of inappropriate signage, furniture, bollards etc and the introduction of a designed and co-ordinated approach to furniture, signage, etc. The site has also seen the re-instalment of a perimeter fence which mirrors the original fence that had previously been removed.
The war memorial was cleaned and up lit and the wording on the granite relief panels were repointed with a lime mortar to restore them to their original spender. This work was done by John Rimmer, a local expert in historic stone restoration.
The horticultural improvements include the re-turfing of the whole site as well as arboricultural works. The site’s lawns were stripped and re-laid by local turf specialist Danvic Turf to a high specification. The site had kept its floral displays, designed by the Parks Development Team.
Location
The Lytham War Memorial is situated in Lytham St. Anne’s adjacent to Lytham Piazza. The address being:
Lytham War Memorial
Market Square
Lytham St Anne’s
Lancashire
FY8 5LW
