Preston War Memorial Trail Please note: Some locations may have entry restrictions, depending on times and days. Start Point: Christchurch War Memorial, Preston Registration Office, PR1 8ND. The Christchurch War Memorial is a stone wheel cross situated in the open, featuring brass plaques inscribed with the names of those who fell in WWI and WWII. Follow the trail for: Soldier's and Sailor's Free Buffet Plaque, Preston Train Station, Fishergate, PR1 8AP. With the Christchurch War Memorial on your left, walk towards Fishergate Hill and turn left. Follow Fishergate Hill (transitioning into Fishergate) until you come to Preston Train Station on your right. Walk down the hill to the entrance of the train station and to the station's waiting area to see the Soldiers and Sailors Free Buffet plaque. You will also find the Preston Pals plaque in-between platforms 3 and 4. These three plaques in Preston Railway Station's waiting room commemorate the waiting room's use as the Soldier's and Sailor's Free Buffet during the Great War. The free buffet provided refreshments and comfort for servicemen passing through the station, all with the help of volunteers. For the next part of the trail, you will find the Preston Pals memorial plaque between platforms 3 & 4.
Preston Pals memorial plaque, Preston Train Station, Fishergate, PR1 8AP. Between platforms 3 & 4, inside Preston Railway Station, this memorial plaque honours the Preston Pals. The Preston Pals were men who volunteered to fight in WWI within 7th Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Until this plaque was created, there was no official Memorial to the Preston Pals, so a board of trustees was created by Andrew Mather to honour the men who left from Preston Railway Station on their fateful journeys. Follow the trail for: the Leach Family WWII Thanksgiving Memorial Statue, St George's Church, George's Road, PR1 2NP. Leaving the train station where you entered, continue back up to Fishergate and turn right. Continue down Fishergate until you come to Lune street on your left. Turn down Lune Street and follow until you come to George's Road on your right, on George's Road you will find St George's Church to the left with the Leach family memorials inside. This statue was given to the Church of St Mary, Chorley, by the Leach Family as an act of Thanksgiving for the safe return of sons from the Great War. The statue was then moved to the Baptistry for a short time in the1990s after a re-ordering of the church. After this the statue was housed in The Church of St George the Martyr, where it still lives today. Look for the stained glass window as the next part of the trail.
Stained glass window, St George's Church, George's Road, PR1 2NP. This beautiful stained glass window is dedicated to the Holy Trinity's fallen men during WWI and WWII. The brass plaques beneath the window list the Holy Trinity Church's war dead and were transferred to The Church of St George the Martyr in 1952 after the Holy Trinity Church closed. Follow the trail for: Cenotaph, Preston Market Square, PR1 2PP. Leaving St George's Church, head back to Lune Street and turn right and right again towards Friargate. When on Friargate turn right and continue until you come to Preston Flag Market with the Cenotaph on your left. A monument to the soldiers from Preston who perished in WWI, the Cenotaph is an impressive memorial designed by Sir Gilbert Scott and featuring sculptural work by Henry Alfred Pegram. Unveiled in 1926 and recently restored, the main feature of the Cenotaph is the sculptured "Victory" figure along with the dead pleading for acceptance of their sacrifice. Follow the trail for: Roll of Honour, Harris Museum & Art Gallery, Preston Market Square, PR1 2PP. Turn towards The Harris Museum and Art Gallery and enter the entrance to the left of the building. You will find the roll of honour at the bottom of the stairs inside the building.
The Harris houses Preston's Roll of Honour which lists 1,956 Preston men who lost their lives during WWI. Unveiled in 1927, the Roll of Honour is located on the ground floor of the museum in two sections on both staircases. Follow the trail for: Preston Grammar School Boys Memorial Plaque, St John's Minster, Church Street, PR1 3BT. Exit the Harris Museum and Art Gallery from the doorway parallel to the one you entered and turn left towards Lancaster Road. When you come to Lancaster Road turn right and follow until you come to Church Street. Turn left onto Church Street. You will see St John's Minster on your right, this is where the St John's Minster Memorials are kept. This dark wooden plaque records the names of the Preston Grammar School Boys who fell during the Great War. This was originally hung in the school hall of the Preston Grammar School on Moor Park Avenue. When the school closed in 1967 the memorial was relocated to St John's Parish Church (Preston Minster). The memorial window, however, remains in the school building on Moor Park Avenue. For the next part of the trail, stay in St John's Minster to see 2nd Battalion of Loyal North Lancashire Great War Memorial.
2nd Battalion of Loyal North Lancashire Great War Memorial, St John's Minster, Church Street, PR1 3BT. This large brass plaque hangs in St John's Minster, commemorating the fallen of the 2nd Battlalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in the Great War. For the next part of the trail, stay in St John's Minster to see St John's Parish Memorial. St John's Parish Memorial, St John's Minster, Church Street, PR1 2BT. This plaque is a memorial dedicated to the men of the parish who fell in the Great War. Follow the trail for: St Wilfrid's War Plaques, St Wilfrid's Parish, Chapel Street, PR1 8BU. When leaving St John's Minster turn left onto Church Street (transitioning into Fishergate) and continue down Fishergate until you come to Chapel Street on your left. Turn left down Chapel Street and stop at St Wilfrid's Parish on your left.
Inside St Wilfrid's Parish, on either side of the crucified Christ, are two marble memorial plaques, along with marble floor plaques. These plaques commemorate the fallen men of St Wilfrid's Parish and the old boys of Preston Catholic College in WWI and WWII. Follow the trail for: Obelisk Monument, Avenham Park, South Meadow Lane, PR1 8JT. With Fishergate behind you, walk alongside Winckley Square on your left. Continue towards Avenham Park Ribblesdale Place entrance and walk into the park, stopping at the Obelisk Monument on the right of the path. Dedicated to the servicemen who died in the 1899-1902 Boer War, this monument sits overlooking Avenham Park. The monument stands at 25 feet, surrounded by flowers as well as the beautiful scenery of Avenham Park's Japanese Gardens. Follow the trail for Preston Pals Flower Bed, Miller Park, South Meadow Lane, PR1 8JT. Continue down the path and under the bridge into Miller Park where you will come across the Preston Pals Flower Bed on your left.
End Point: Located in Miller Park, the Preston Pals flora and fauna flower bed commemorates the fallen Prestonians from WWI. The Preston Pals were a group of men from Preston who volunteered to fight during WWI, also fighting later in 1917 Belgium.