A treasured part of Ellesmere Port’s heritage is on the way home.
Thanks to help from the War Memorials Trust the Mersey Iron Works Great Memorial Plaque is to return to a stunning new garden at the entrance to the town’s historic high street.
The plaque lists the names of those who fell in the Great War after leaving the Cromwell Road works to fight for King and Country.
Ellesmere Port Local and Family History Society records the impressive roll of honour was initially unveiled at the main entrance to the iron works on Cromwell Road in 1926 before transferring to the rose garden at the ironwork’s sports ground.
It moved to the garden at the Royal British Legion on Stanney Lane when the sports ground was sold.
Feared by some to have been lost, the plaque was later taken into secure storage by RBL North West Property in Manchester.
Thanks to the grant it is being repaired by a metal conservation specialist and will be back on display as the centrepiece of a new memorial garden on the corner of Whitby Road and Cromwell Road.
Part of a programme of improvements in the town centre, work on the new feature is expected to start in November. The garden will then be open to the public all year.
The derelict property at 1A Whitby Road, which stood where the garden will be constructed, adjoined the town’s Grade II-listed former Queens Cinema dating back to 1912 which became the Mecca Bingo. The council explains it was beyond economic repair and needed to be demolished.
The garden itself will also improve visibility for both drivers and pedestrians at the busy junction.
Cllr Louise Gittins (Lab, Little Neston and Burton), cabinet member for communities and wellbeing, said: “The plaque will be installed at a key gateway into Ellesmere Port forming an entrance to the new housing developments along Cromwell Road.
“I’d like to thank the local businesses and partners that have made the new memorial garden possible including the Royal British Legion who gave permission for the memorial plaque to be situated in the garden.
“The War Memorials Trust grant has helped towards the specialist repair and conservation of the bronze memorial plaque.”
Cllr Gittins said at an earlier stage: “A memorial garden is proposed to replace the current building at 1A Whitby Road.
“The property has been empty for many years and is an eyesore at the busy junction of Cromwell Road and Whitby Road.
“The council proposes to demolish the building which will increase visibility for pedestrians and drivers at the junction as well as improving the appearance of a key gateway site.”
She continued: “The centrepiece of the new memorial garden will be the Mersey Iron Works memorial plaque which commemorates those workers who lost their lives in the First World War.
“This was situated at the ironworks in Cromwell Road for decades until it was moved to the Royal British Legion site in Stanney Lane when the works closed 20 years ago.
“After this site itself closed three years ago, some residents feared the plaque was lost to the town but it was taken into secure storage by RBL North West Property.
“This proposal would return an important part of Ellesmere Port’s heritage back to Cromwell Road where it belongs.”
The council points out the area between Cromwell Road and the railway line from Whitby Road to the canal was a heavy industrial area for most of the 20th century. The Wolverhampton Corrugated Iron Company was the first industry to locate there in 1903 famously moving from the Midlands.
The company, also known as Mersey Iron Works, quickly became the largest employer in town and installed the plaque at their factory entrance along Cromwell Road.
Developers St Modwen Properties have given approval for the garden to be constructed on their land for which planning permission and a lease was needed.
The owner of adjoining business Glowquest has given permission for works to their listed property for which listed building consent and a party wall agreement was also needed.
The demolition of 1A Whitby Road, which replaced an older property removed in the 1960s, together with the construction of the memorial garden, will enhance the setting of the listed former cinema it is argued. In addition hundreds of new homes are being built on the iron works site itself which will transform the area.
1A itself, said to be in ‘disarray’, was not listed and with boarded up windows was unoccupied for many years becoming an unsightly eyesore.
