Garstang War Memorial is the town’s principal memorial to those from Garstang and Bonds who lost their lives in military service during the World Wars and later conflicts. It stands in a small memorial garden beside the roundabout where Park Hill Road meets Croston Road in Garstang.
The Garstang Poppy Trail is a heritage and remembrance project created by the Garstang & District Heritage Society to mark the centenary of the First World War. Launched in October 2018, the trail links a series of significant sites across the former Garstang Rural District, helping visitors discover the stories of local people and communities affected by the war.
The memorial was unveiled and dedicated on 18 January 1925. It was designed as a permanent tribute to local men who served in the First World War, particularly those who did not return. The original memorial was produced by George C. Rushworth Ltd of St Annes, and the project was funded through public support.
Garstang War Memorial garden occupies land that was presented to the people of Garstang by members of the Adelaide and Castle Lodges of the Oddfellows. Ownership later passed to the local council.
The memorial consists of a raised memorial wall approached by steps with two commemorative tablets separated by a carved Latin cross, and landscaped memorial garden with planting on either side.
The inscription includes the words: “We will remember them” and commemorates those who “went forth from Garstang and Bonds to serve and save their country and in doing so laid down their lives.”
The memorial records: 19 local men who died in the First World War (1914-1918). 15 local men and women who died in the Second World War (1939-1945). In addition, an Afghanistan plaque was later added to commemorate a local serviceman killed during the conflict in Afghanistan in 2011.
The memorial remains the focal point for Remembrance Sunday services in Garstang and is carefully maintained by the local community and town council. It continues to serve as an important place of reflection and remembrance for residents and visitors alike.
Garstang Poppy Trail consists of specially designed ceramic poppy plaques, produced locally by Pilling Pottery, and installed at locations with connections to First World War remembrance and local military history. Each plaque includes a QR code that visitors can scan to access historical information online.
Plaques were placed at a variety of sites throughout the district, including:
Garstang War Memorial
Garstang Town Hall
Catterall Memorial Gate
Nateby War Memorial
Bleasdale Parish Hall
St Eadmer’s Church, Bleasdale
St Peter’s Church, Scorton
Other churches, memorials and places associated with wartime remembrance across the former rural district.
The project was designed to:
Commemorate the centenary of the First World War.
Encourage people to visit local heritage sites.
Share the stories of local servicemen and communities.
Connect physical locations with digital historical interpretation through QR technology.
What makes the trail distinctive is that it covers the wider former Garstang Rural District, not just Garstang itself. The Heritage Society’s area of interest stretches across communities including Barnacre, Bleasdale, Catterall, Forton, Garstang, Nateby, Scorton, St Michael’s on Wyre, Winmarleigh and others, allowing visitors to explore how the Great War affected the whole district.
You can download a copy of the Garstang Poppy Trail here