Blackpool Cenotaph War Memorial, Blackpool

The Blackpool Cenotaph War Memorial, standing prominently on Princess Parade near the Metropole Hotel, is one of the town’s most significant landmarks of remembrance. Unveiled in 1923, this imposing white granite obelisk rises 30 meters high from a three-stepped plinth and is flanked by two chest tombs bearing the names of the fallen.

Originally dedicated to those who died in the First and Second World Wars-as inscribed on its front, “In Memory of Our Glorious Dead, 1914–1918, 1939–1945”-the memorial now also honors those lost in later conflicts, including Korea and the Falklands.

The Blackpool Cenotaph was awarded Grade II* listed status by Historic England, placing it among the town’s most architecturally and historically significant structures, alongside the Grand Theatre and Winter Gardens. Its listing recognizes not only its scale and prominence but also the exceptional bronze reliefs by renowned sculptor Gilbert Ledward. These include rare and poignant depictions of women on the home front-mothers, nurses, grieving widows-and, unusually, a fallen German soldier, making it one of the few British memorials to do so.

Around the base of the obelisk, larger allegorical panels represent Victory, Grief, and Justice, while smaller ones depict various servicemen. The WWI fallen are remembered on 64 name panels across the two bronze-covered tombs, while 18 additional panels below the east face of the cenotaph commemorate those lost in WWII. A round plaque at the north entrance offers a brief history of the memorial itself.

Today, the Blackpool Cenotaph remains a powerful and moving tribute to the sacrifices made across generations, offering a place of solemn reflection on the seafront.