Accrington Pals memorial garden makeover

Work has started on the enhancement of a World War One memorial garden to honour the hundreds of East Lancashire soldiers who were killed in the 1916 Battle of the Somme.

The £260,000 project to revitalise the Accrington Pals Memorial Garden in the town centre’s Church Street is expected to be completed by April.

It is being funded by the government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

There will be landscaping and structural improvements as well as a new sculpture in the seating area.

Hyndburn Borough Council said it was "not just a facelift" but a "redefinition of the space as a beacon of community, remembrance, and natural beauty".

Following a rallying cry by War Secretary Lord Kitchener, battalions were formed across the country, including in the east Lancashire town of Accrington where about 1,000 men signed up.

"It's gone down as being the smallest town or borough in Britain to raise a complete battalion," explained local historian Andrew Jackson.

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