Boer War Memorial, Crewe

Shortly after the end of the Boer War in May 1902, the citizens of Crewe decided to erect a memorial to the soldiers from the town who had fallen in the conflict. It has been stated that a higher proportion of men from Crewe than in any other British town served in the war. A committee named the Crewe South African Volunteers' and Reservists' Memorial Fund Committee was established, which represented local volunteers rather than regular serving men. The committee asked the Crewe Borough Council for a site in Queens Park, and the council gave them the most prominent position in the park. At the time a bandstand stood there, but this was demolished. The money for the memorial was raised by…

The memorial consists of a bronze statue of a soldier dressed in the uniform of the period standing on a marble column on a stone pedestal. The whole memorial, including the statue, is about 9 m high. The soldier is standing to attention, holding a rifle, and dressed in what was known as "foreign service dress". This includes a slouch hat, a bandolier belt, a pouch, and a water bottle. The pedestal is in Aberdeen granite, and the column is in grey marble with a sandstone cap. Originally at the base of the memorial was a bronze model of a locomotive named King Edward VII, which had been designed by Francis Webb. The model had been made by P. H. Lightfoot, and it stood on rails with 19…