Memorials at Leeds Minster

The British Nuclear Test Veterans Association Memorial

In the northern boundary wall of Leeds Minster, adjacent to the East Bar, there is a war memorial dedicated to the Leeds Rifles, which was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and unveiled on Remembrance Sunday - 13th November 1921. 

The Leeds Rifles war memorial

Built with Portland limestone, it contrasts strongly with the Rough Rock from the Millstone Grit Group, which is seen in historic buildings throughout Leeds. When looking at it closely, the fossils oysters are seen to be standing proud – a result of the differential weathering of the softer limestone matrix in the polluted industrial environment that was once a feature of Leeds. 

A detail of a bronze plaque on the Leeds Rifles war memorial

Having discovered various points of geological interest during my previous visits to Leeds – including the decorative stones inside Leeds Central Library and various others on Park Row - I had by now began to think that the ‘Building Stones of Leeds’ could be put forward as a potential field trip for the Sheffield U3A Geology Group, especially since a similar event in Sheffield had gone down well earlier in the year. 

Bronze plaques on the Leeds Rifles war memorial

After taking a few photographs of the finely detailed bronze plaques on the war memorial, I entered the churchyard by the north-east entrance and was immediately attracted to another memorial that lies behind the Leeds Rifles memorial. 

The BNTVA memorial at Leeds Minster

This simple memorial is dedicated by the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association to the victims of the various nuclear tests undertaken by the British Services from 1952 to 1991 and, having a very good friend from Hiroshima, this proved to be a very poignant moment. Unknown to me at the time, it had been recently cleaned in preparation for a re-dedication service that took place only a few days before my visit.

A detail of a wreath laid at the BNTVA memorial