The Memorial Arch stands on High Street and is a uniquely designed Victorian stone and mosaic archway. It was erected by William Hatfield de Rodes in 1869 in memory of his wife Sophy Felicity de Rodes (nee Curzon) who died that year. The inscriptions on the mosaic are in three different languages. The Greek letters read: ‘SOPHIA MAKARIA’ meaning ‘dearest wisdom’ (which is a pun on the Christian name of Sophy). At the top ‘MIZPAH’ is the Hebrew word meaning ‘the Lord watch twixt me and thee whilst we are absent from one another.’ The Latin (in four diagonal strips) reads ‘FELIX/OLIM/FELICITATIS/MEMOR’ another pun on Sophy’s second name Felicity, meaning approximately ‘once happy man mindful of past happiness’. The date is depicted by Roman numerals. Their monograms appear in each half of the ornate cast iron gates, WHR and SFR. These gates open into a memorial garden (built in 1951) to commemorate the servicemen who gave the ultimate sacrifice in two world wars (and the first Derbyshire man to be awarded the Victoria Cross).
The Memorial Arch restoration was completed in June 2006. This was made possible through the fund raising efforts of local residents, a grant for historic restoration work and Barlborough Parish Council.