Minto War Memorial

Heritage listing

Category B Date Added 16/09/2008 Local Authority Scottish Borders Planning Authority Scottish Borders Parish Minto NGR NT 56598 20093 Coordinates 356598, 620093 — Thomas J Clapperton, 1925. Bronze statue of First World War soldier in helmet and greatcoat standing on guard with bayonet, mounted on rugged stone plinth with boulders and 2 commemorative bronze plaques at base and set within memorial garden. — A highly expressive war memorial figure sculpture by the internationally successful, locally born sculptor Thomas J Clapperton (1879-1962), situated near the church at the heart of Minto. Clapperton was born in Galashiels, and studied at the Glasgow School of Art from 1899 to 1901 before moving to London. He attended the Kennington School of Art, and then the Royal Academy Schools in 1904-5. He completed his studies in Paris and Rome on a travelling scholarship, returning to London afterwards to set up practice as a sculptor. For his native area, he designed the Mungo Park and Flodden memorials at Selkirk, and the war memorials at Canonbie, Earlston, Galashiels and Selkirk, in addition to this one at Minto. Unlike the large group war memorials of Sir William Goscombe John, under whom Clapperton had studied while at the Royal Academy, Clapperton's works tend to be individual or equestrian figures; but they are imbued with a similar sense of narrative and expression to those of his master. He was also responsible for a number of distinguished memorials to individuals, as well as figures such as the monument of Robert the Bruce on the front of Edinburgh Castle. His work outside Scotland includes a massive figurative frieze on Liberty's department store in London, and public works in New Zealand, Canada and California. The statue is 9ft tall. The face of the soldier is bas

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.