A war memorial that has stood proudly in the heart of a North Yorkshire market town for more than 100 years has been cleaned and repaired to help preserve it for future generations.

The memorial in Richmond’s Friary Gardens honours 101 local servicemen who lost their lives during the First World War and features a carved relief depicting a three-masted warship.

Two bronze plaques were added to the retaining wall after 1945 to commemorate a further 54 servicemen who died in the Second World War. The plaques bear the poignant epitaph, “they died that we might live”.

Inspections carried out last year identified a range of issues affecting the monument, including weathered and open mortar joints, cracks on the bronze plaques and biological growths such as moss and lichen on the base and carved ship motif.

North Yorkshire Council subsequently agreed to oversee a programme of conservation works to halt the memorial’s deterioration and safeguard it as both a place of remembrance and a lasting symbol of the sacrifices made by Richmond’s community during two world wars.

The project has now been completed, with repairs and specialist cleaning undertaken to the memorial’s base, steps, plaques and ship carving.

The work has helped secure the long-term future of the monument while carefully preserving and respecting its historic character.

North Yorkshire Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Gareth Dadd, whose responsibilities include property, said: “The memorial in Friary Gardens is an important civic monument that has provided a focal point for community reflection and remembrance for more than a century.

“These conservation works were integral to ensure it can continue to honour those from the town who made the ultimate sacrifice during two world wars.

“I am pleased that the restoration has been completed, safeguarding the memorial’s future for generations to come.”

The memorial was commissioned in the aftermath of the First World War during a period that saw a wave of public commemoration across England.

With the nation’s war dead buried overseas, communities sought lasting ways to remember those who never returned home, leading to the erection of memorials across the country.

Lord Zetland donated the land in Friary Gardens and contributed to the £1,100 cost of the monument, which stands in front of the 15^th century Grey Friars Tower. The memorial was unveiled on October 23, 1921.

Its octagonal base was inscribed with the names of the 101 local men who died during the Great War. Following the end of the Second World War, two bronze plaques were added to record the names of a further 54 servicemen who lost their lives in that conflict.

The completion of the project has been welcomed by Cllr Stuart Parsons, the local member for the Richmond division on North Yorkshire Council. He said: “This memorial is a unique place in Richmond’s history and in the hearts of our local community.

“I am pleased that it has been restored as a lasting reminder of the sacrifices made by the people of Richmond during the conflicts, so people can once again read their families’ names displayed with pride, and hopefully in the near future incorporating the Irish Rangers stone.”

The inspections and subsequent report that identified the monument’s deteriorating condition were completed by Align, the council’s property consultancy.

The managing director of Align, Ron Walton, said: “We are proud to have played our part in preserving this important monument for the communities of Richmond.

“Our condition survey identified a number of issues and it was clear that, if left untreated, the memorial would have continued to deteriorate over time.

“It is rewarding to see the work now completed and the memorial restored to a condition that reflects its importance to the town’s history and heritage.”