Search is on for South Yorkshire's best little-known memorials

South Yorkshire residents are being urged to share knowledge of forgotten, secret or little-known memorials in the area as part of a wide-ranging heritage project.
Women of Steel statue unveiling.Women of Steel statue unveiling.
Women of Steel statue unveiling.

The hunt for information about monuments, street shrines and community tributes is part of a project, called Immortalised, by heritage body Historic England looking at who is remembered and how.

Historic England is asking for photographs and information from the public about lesser-known memorials or those well-loved by communities but unknown on a national level.

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The stories and pictures will be included in an exhibition as part of the Immortalised project which will also feature a debate, nationwide events and a design competition.

In addition, the best examples of community memorials may be listed by Historic England.

Historic England highlighted the Women of Steel statue in Sheffield, which remembers women who took jobs in factories and mills during the two world wars, as an example of a monument that is held in high regard in a community - and called for the public to tell them about more.

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: "We are creatures of memory, and every generation has commemorated people in the built environment.

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"Their stories may involve episodes of heroism or generosity and be inspirational, or they may involve episodes which are shameful by today's standards. They all tell us something about the lives of our ancestors."

He said one of Historic England's most important jobs was to identify and share information about what is embedded in England's public areas to help people understand and value their local historic environment.

"Exploring the stories and histories of less well-known people and groups is an important part of this, and that's what today's call out to the public is all about."

Contact Historic England at https://historicengland.org.uk