The Parish Council is delighted to announce that it has been awarded three grants from national charitable organisations to assist its ongoing programme of maintenance and refurbishment of War Memorials in the Holme Valley. The work on these three memorials will take place in 2008/09.

Junction of Oakes Lane and Brockholes Lane

The iron railings are severely affected by corrosion and are to be repaired and recoated. The stone paving between the entrance gates and the plinth courses to the perimeter are broken and damaged. Two sections of stone are to be replaced and three repaired. They have been damaged by natural wear on this material. The capitals to pillars are to be refixed. and all joints need to be repointed.

The grant was awarded by English Heritage and the Wolfson Foundation, in association with the War Memorials Trust.

Grounds of Holme Valley Memorial Hospital

The tablets themselves are in good order and the lettering appears to be quite complete. The lead has whitened in places with exposure to the elements and the general condition of the tablets is sound. The surrounding stone and paving have become slightly dirty over the years and the jointing washed out. The work to be carried out is to rake out all joints of the main memorial and steps, and the separate granite cross followed by repointing using lime mortar putty.

The grant was awarded by English Heritage and the Wolfson Foundation, in association with the War Memorials Trust.

St John's Church, Upperthong

The proposed work is replacement of the gates with new oak gates cut in the same pattern as the original. The heavy gates have been repaired in the past but are showing signs of rot and decay. The original timber was oak but has been repaired with other timbers and decorated with materials which are not sympathetic with oak and this has accelerated the decay. The stone work and structure appear to be in good order. The pointing is sound and secure at the time of observation. No work is proposed for the stone.

The grant was awarded by the War Memorials Trust.